Simply Folk Magazine - Issue No:6

SFM

MAGAZINE

SIMPLY

FOLK

Music Magazine

Also

Featuring

JEZ

LOWE

Bi - Monthly Issue:06

Featuring...

JOE JENCKS

SPONSORED BY: MUSIC FOR

WORLD PEACE

RECORDS

SFM

MAGAZINE

County Durham singer-songwriter Jez

Lowe is just about to release a new album,

his first collection of new songs since

“Crazy Pagan”, back in 2020. The title of

this new set is “Oubliette”, named after one of the

most popular songs in his current live set, and being

released here officially for the first time.

Not counting live albums, collaborations and compilations,

this will be his fifteenth album since his

debut release in 1980. The first five of his albums

came out on vinyl, but then in 1990, like everyone

else, he embraced the CD format, and that, along

with digital release, is how the new album is also

being presented.

As the promotional blurb for the new album states,

Jez is one of the most “covered” songwriters on the

UK folk scene. His songs can be heard on albums by

Fairport Convention, The Unthanks, The Dubliners,

Wizz Jones, The Tannahill Weavers, Bob Fox, The

Young Uns, Megson, The McCalmans, and overseas

acts like Cherish The Ladies, Gordon Bok, The Duhks,

Enda Kenny, and many more.

Though it’s credited as a solo album, Jez’s longtime

backing band The Bad Pennies, Kate Bramley

on violin and vocals, Andy May on Northumbrian

Pipes and keyboards and David De La Haye on bass

and programming, have made an invaluable contribution

to “Oubliette”. David is also credited as

producer of the album and his quirky but tasteful

touches can be heard throughout the record. The

recording took place in a remote farmhouse on the

hills near Consett, County Durham, the town where

the famous Northern Recording Studios was once

located, and where Jez recorded several albums

back in the late 1990s. This time Jez and the musicians

set up their own recording equipment and

locked themselves away for ten days while outside,

the wintry February wind blew down from the Borders

and the sheep huddled behind the hedges and

the traffic crawled unknowingly along the distant

A68 road from Hexham and beyond.

JEZ LOW

‘Oubliette’ Tra

Released 1st Ju

https://www.jezlowe.com/new

1. OLD MAN’S EYES

2. OUBLIETTE

3. FREEBODY’S WAKE

4. ELEPHANT ROCK

5. A MESSAGE FROM A

MANDOLIN

6. TAGGERMAN

7. BAR

ANT

8. HAR

9. GET

10. SAN

11. THE

12. CHE

| 02

janeshieldsmedia@gmail.com

Welcome

WELCOME TO

SIMPLY FOLK

MUSIC MAGAZINE

E

ck List

ly 2025

-album-oubliette/

RY AND THE

HROCITES

DANGER ENGLE

YOUR SKATES ON

CTUARY LAND

FROZEN ROMAN

WY MOVED

Wow, have I got some fantastic

articles for you to read!! I’ve

been a bit poorly for the past few

weeks, but feeling much better

now, and thoroughly enjoyed

working on all the articles in this

issue.

My cover artist for this month is

an incredibly talented folk artist

currently residing in Chicago

USA. If you don’t know who Joe

Jencks is then you won’t want to

misss reading all about him and

his fabulous folk music.

Also, Jez Lowe releases his

brand new album 1st July, (see

facing page), and I’ve also put

together an article on Jez and

all the fantastic groups he has

performed with.

Then there’s the amazing Helen

Stekert, that’s an article you don’t

wanyt to skip.

I’ve begun a new selection of

album releases near the front of

this issue, and would urge my

readers to forward me all your

recent folk releases for inclusion

in future issues of Simply Folk

Music Magazine.

KelticDead Music (KDM have

two articles in this issue for you

to discover, and you have to take

a look at Dr David McKinstry’s

article, it’s an real eye opener...

I’d like to thank all my

regular contributors for their

valued articles, including Ian

MacDonald and anyone I may

not have mentioned. I value

your input, it helps to make the

magazine much more interesting

than normal music magazines,

I like to offer a good variety of

folk related info to my readers,

and I’m always seeking out new

writers who’d like to join my

team.

On the back cover of this issue

you’ll find my advertising rates

sheet, which I believe are more

than affordable should you know

of anyone who likes a good deal,

and the beauty of advertising

within an online magazine is the

longevity as the magazines all

continue to be read long after the

current issue is released.

Anyhow, that’s enough of my

ramblings, except to say thank

you to all my readers, and please

feel free to share the magazine

link from my Facebook page.

Jane xx


03 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

CONTENTS

* * * July/August 2025 * * *

MFWPR

OUR MISSION IS TO

PROMOTE A WORLD OF

PEACE.

We are a profit sharing

label. We are not motivated

by profit, but we do believe

that everyone who worked

on a project should get a fair

share of any profit made by

that project. It helps support

and motivate the teams that

are working hard to bring

us world peace through the

influence of music and the

internet. It helps the label

to grow and spread that

influence throughout the

world.

MEDIA

Cover

Artist

26 JOE JENCKS

Explore Joes Music

Featured

Articles

06 FOLK ALBUM

RELEASES

08 UK FOLK RADIO

09 NEWS IN BRIEF

10 KDM BROADSIDES

SAINT ANNE’S REEL

14 MARYLAND FOLK

FESTIVAL

16 ST IVES

SUMMER FESTIVAL

18 CHARLIE

POOLE

22 ELLEN STEKERT

PROJECT - NEW

WOODY GUTHRIE

SONG UNEARTHED

PLUS FOUR STRONG

WINDS RELEASE

38 JEZ LOWE

INTRODUCTION

| 04


48 Milton Hide

Bungaroosh

50 Phil Cooper

Playing Solitaire

52 Les Caravan

New Album

54 Nicola Madill

Absentee Album

58 KDM

Broadsides

Storms Are On

The Ocean

64 Day Of

Lincolnshire

Folk

66 Passenger

Asia Tour

Featured

Artists

68 Joe Bayliss

Introduction

70 Rick Carlos

A Musical

Journey

78 Dr David

McKinstry

Half Glaswegian

But All Irishman

82 Vincent Burke

10 By 3 Album

86 Ian MacDonald

MacPherson’s

Rant

80 Gigs And

Recent Relkeases

100 SFM Magazine

Advert Rates

Are you a Folk artist

seeking a new way to

promote your music?

Do you have a monthly gig

list you’d like to share?

Would you consider

advertising within a future

issue?

Would you like to become

a regular folk music writer

in this magazine?

Are you taking part in a

charity event involving folk

music?

Drop me an email and let

me see what I can do to

help you.

janeshieldsmedia@gmail.

com


05 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

Willi Carlisle

WINGED VICTORY

Married Woman

LOVE IS IN THE AIR

Bandcamp link

here

Bandcamp link

here

Tim O’brien & Jan

Fabricius

PAPER FLOWERS

Music Choice

here

Klexton

JUNO

Apple Music

here

Nathan McEuen

MY ONE AND ONLY

Van Morrison

REMEMBERING NOW

Website link

here

website

here

A Három Reppek

FÖLD KÖRÜLI UTAZÁS

Neil Young & The

Chrome Hearts

TALKIN’ TO THE TREES

Listen to album

here

Apple Music link

here

The 365 Project

KEVI

Cygnet

CYGNAT

Listen on Bandcamp

here

Bandcamp link

here

| 06


Folk Album Releases

Mars Mignon

SOURDOUGH

Caroline

Caroline 2

Spotify link

here

Bandcamp link

here

MatC

MEECH

2

FOXWARREN

Apple Music link

here

Bandcamp link

here

Dude Central

I WILL LOVE YOU,

ALWAYS

Alan Sparhawk &

Trampled By Turtles

ALAN SPARHAWK

WITH TRAMPLED BY

TURTLES

Spotify link

here

Bandcamp link

here

Hayden Pedigo

I’LL BE WAVING AS

YOUDRIVE AWAY

Bandcamp link

here

Pearl Forever

A SKY SO BLUE

Bandcamp link

here

Sufjan Stevens

CARRIE & LOWELL

Quedronol

TOGETHER

Youtube link

here

Bandcamp link

here


07 05 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

UK Folk Radio Stations

NASHVILLE

WORLDWIDE

Listen here

VIP RADIO

GLASGOW

Listen here

INTAMIXX

DESI RADIO

Listen here

WYLDWOOD

RADIO

Listen here

MYSTERY TRAIN

RADIO

Listen here

SHETLAND

INTERNATIONAL

RADIO

Listen here

FOLK FRIDAY

RADIO

Listen here

PARROT RADIO

UK

Listen here

SCOTLANDER

RADIO

Listen here

SUNSHINE MUSIC

IRADIO

listen here

SOUNDART RADIO

102.5

Listen here

WEIR FM

ROSSENDALE

Listen here

MKB INDEPENDANT

RADIO

Listen here

RADIO

TROUBADOUR

Listen here

| 08


Folk Radio Stations/Folk News

Wales’ “fragile” folk music

tradition could “die within

a generation” without urgent

action, a new report has said.

Research commissioned by Arts

Council Wales found fewer young

people were learning or growing

up with traditional music skills.

Dafydd Iwan, who has brought

Welsh folk music to millions

through the success of his song

Yma o Hyd, described the

situation as “very worrying”.

Arts Council Wales said folk

music had not “been supported

as it should have been”, but it had

now tripled its investment in the

art form. - BBC 24/06/25

FOLK album that tells the

A story of a colourful Ilkley

character from the 19th Century

is to have a live performance as

part of Bradford City of Culture,

50 years after its release.

The Mountain Ash Band recorded

the concept album Hermit in

1975, telling the tale of Jobe

Senior, who became a singer and

ended up living in a shack on

Rombald’s Moor.

The pub in Burley Woodhead,

The Hermit, is named after Jobe.

Scott Vipond-Clarke of the Q20

Theatre Company that is staging

the event on Saturday, July 5 said

of Jobe: “Illegitimate, by turns a

farm labourer, dry stone waller,

ostler, drunkard, happily married

man and, in the end, a singer of

great merit. Jobe became famous

Folk News In Brief

for his four singing voices. Made

homeless, he lived in a makeshift

shelter on Rombald’s Moor near

the Burley Woodhead Inn that

carries his name. Here was a tale

worth retelling!” - Wharfdale

Observer 26/06/25

Indian folk music carries the

voices of ancestors and a sense

of community. At the heart of

it, Mame Khan talks about his

responsibility of keeping it alive.

With a diverse culture, folk music

in India is more than just sound:

it’s storytelling, oral history,

and a living expression of the

community. Despite the language

barrier, folk music touches

people’s souls as it carries the

voices of ancestors, the rhythms

of rituals, and the spirit of places

where songs are still passed down

by ear.

At the forefront of this tradition

stands Mame Khan, one of the

most recognisable voices of

Rajasthani folk music. Born into

the Manganiyar community of

Rajasthan, melodies were passed

down to him like heirlooms. As

he embarks on a new chapter

with JetSynthesys’ Global Music

Junction, he reflects on how folk

music connects people and the

responsibility of keeping it alive.

Excerpts from the interview:

When you sang Chaudhary,

did you ever imagine it would

become a landmark moment in

India’s folk music history?

Honestly, no. I never imagined

Chaudhary would become such a

massive hit. I loved singing it, but

I never dreamed it would resonate

the way it has. It’s incredible to

see how the song has travelled –

not just across India, but globally.

The magic really comes from the

team: Amit Trivedi, a Gujarati

composer; lyrics from Punjab;

and the soul of Rajasthan in

the melody. The song is rooted

in Mand Raag and carries that

vibrant Rajasthani flavour, which

gives it a fresh, colourful feel.

Today, it feels like Chaudhary

has sparked a folk fever, and I’m

so proud to be its voice. When a

song makes someone, whether

it’s a doctor, lawyer, or cab driver,

smile and forget their worries,

that joy and those blessings are

priceless. That’s the true reward.

Your music is steeped in tradition

and the voices of your ancestors.

What does ‘folk’ mean to you, not

just as a genre, but as a way of

life?

For me, folk music isn’t just a

genre – it’s my life, my legacy, my

heritage. I learnt every note from

my father and grew up immersed

in this sound. It’s been passed

down through 15–16 generations

in my family. This music is in our

blood. It’s something we live and

breathe. To us, folk music is like

life itself – you simply can’t exist

without it. - News 18 - 24/06/15


09 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

The mission of the KelticDead Music initiative is to find tunes and songs from around the world that have

Celtic, Folk, World, Americana, and Seafaring origins, and arrange them into simple sheet music formats for folk

musicians to use, as well as provide links for the music that follows the arrangements to help in hearing how it can

be played. In addition, other links are provided for the stories and possible lyrics about the selections within videobased,

KDM Broadsides for a music-education experience.

All the selections and sheet music content provided in the KelticDead Music initiative are from

traditional, made-public, made-public with credits, or cited credits where applicable. This material content

is given with permissions. Patrick O. Young, KelticDead Music.

Saint Anne’s Reel

This 4/4 time tune, as a “reel,” is popular in the music traditions out of the Maritime

Provinces of Canada, and from Brittany in France. The Maritime provinces include

New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island, but not to be confused with

the entire Atlantic section of Canada which also includes Newfoundland and

Labrador. Brittany is a peninsula on the west coast of France with very similar music

traditions.

For many years Saint Anne was a

“patron” saint, or someone with God’s

graces, but not “canonized” by the

Catholic Church of Rome. The Roman

Catholic Church on October 21 st , 1584

under Pope Urban VIII officially

approved and canonized Saint Anne.

Made public painting. Saint Anne as

Grandmother and mother of the Virgin Mary.

Saint Anne is still viewed as offering

protection and support for sailors from

storms, and she helps provide support

and strength for unwed mothers. The

concept of patron saints is somewhat

controversial amongst scholars in the

Roman Catholic Church, because the

idea of honoring patron saints who

oversee certain geographical regions, or

asking for protection in certain trades or

for identification of groups of people

sounds very similar to the concept of

“patron deities” within the old Roman

Empire.

| 10


Saint Anne’s Reel

There is still an even greater question and debate as to who she actually was. Some

scholars say she was one of the priestesses within the Hebrew culture (Hannah)

who recognized Jesus Christ as the chosen one when Mary and Joseph brought the

child for blessings, and other scholars allude that Hannah (later “Anne”) was actually

the mother of Mary.

While we have the lineage of Joseph defined in the Bible, practically nothing is

mentioned about the lineage of Mary. In (Matthew 1:18) in the new testament, Mary

conceived before Joseph married her, but not much was said about Mary after that.

Audio-Video: Saint Anne’s Reel in C Major

All the tunes and songs are played with live, acoustic instruments, and the audio-video

reflects what is written in the sheet music shown above.

I used an Irish-tuned, low octave mandolin (aka “Irish Bouzouki”), a Kerry Mezzo C whistle,

and a bodhran for this arrangement. The tune is very popular in the Canadienne Maritime

Provinces and in Brittany, France as a dance tune, normally written in D Major, and played

quite lively. This C Major arrangement a bit slower, as a thoughtful, melody-only piece.

Shaun, That KelticDead Guy

For other free, on-line KDM Broadsides, Features and Topics visit …

www.KelticDead.com


Continued …

11 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

Saint Anne’s Reel

As for Saint Anne being the mother of the Virgin Mary, many generally believe that

Anne and her husband, Joachim, are grandparents. There is a feast held on July 26

concerning this relationship with Jesus and the other seven children by Mary, though

there is very little mention of this relationship in the New Testament.

There is a story of the barren Hannah and about her conception by the prophet

Samuel (Samuel 1:1) which is found in the 2 nd Century Protevangelium of James

(First Gospel of James) as well as the 3 rd Century Evangelium de Nativitate Mariare

(Gospel of the Nativity of Mary).

According to these “non-scriptural”

sources, Anne (or Hannah) was born in

Bethlehem in Judaea. She and her

husband, Joachim, shared a wealthy and

devout life at Nazareth, but she grieved the

fact that she could not conceive a child.

Anne promised God that she would

dedicate her firstborn child into the Lord’s

service, and soon afterwards, she and her

husband received a vision by an angel,

who announced that Anne would conceive

and bear a most wonderous child and she

would be called Mary.

Spanish painting of Saint Anne of

Joachim with her daughter Mary.

When the child was three years old, both Joachim and Anne brought Mary to the

Temple of Jerusalem, where Mary became the charge of the Temple. Mary was

brought up in holy service to God. Mary was considered to be in God’s grace and

therefore, without sin. These were important concepts in the Christian faith for

establishing the Nativity of the Virgin Mary (celebrated on September 8 th ) within the

concept of the Immaculate Conception.

Saint Anne, Mary, and Child. A made public

panel painting.

While the conception of Jesus Christ is one

without the stain of sin, the Immaculate

Conception is a doctrine within the Roman

Catholic Church that has been described by

Pope Pius IX, Ineffabilis Deus, on December

1854 as “The blessed Virgin Mary to have

been, from the first instant of her conception, by

a singular grace and privilege of Almighty God,

in view of the merits of Christ Jesus the Savior

of Mankind, preserved free from all stain of

original sin.” The Eastern Orthodox Church

does not hold to the doctrine of the Immaculate

Conception, although they do consider Mary to

be “all holy,” and she never “committed” a sin.

Continued …

Saint Anne’s Reel

One of the problems with the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception is that it is not

taught in the Bible. The Scriptures do not directly teach the Immaculate Conception,

and no where in the Bible does it describe Mary as being anything other than an

ordinary woman with whom God chose to be the mother of the Lord Jesus Christ.

While Mary is a Godly woman (Luke 1:28) and a wonderful wife and mother, and

there is no doubt that Jesus loved his mother (John 19:27), there is no reason to

believe that Mary was sinless. In fact, the Bible gives us every reason to believe that

Jesus Christ is the only person who was not “infected” by sin and was sinless.

In short, the concept of an Immaculate Conception was neither biblical nor

necessary. The Bible never hints there was anything significant about Mary, and

Mary was not exempt from the Bible’s statement that “all have sinned” (Romans

3:23). Mary needed a Savior just like the rest of us (Luke 1:47).

Saint Anne’s role in giving birth to a most wonderous child was essential in

establishing the basis for Mary’s role in being God’s cherished vessel in the birth of

Jesus Christ. God gave Anne and Mary the opportunity, and they both fulfilled their

promises to God.

Within this historical context, the tune

of Saint Anne becomes much more

real for us, even in our “modern”

times. It is a fun tune to play and well

worth the effort to play it.

Finale Notes:

There has been a lot talk about “sin”

and “being sinful.” The word sin and

the condition of our being sinful is

misleading and often conflicted with

the image of being “forever damned.”

The Roman context of sin is “not

being with God,” or “diverting from

the grace of God.” For the most part,

because we all live in a material

world, we are all distracted by

material things, that means we are

not paying attention to God all the

time.

Most true religions are the ones that

give us guidance to know God.

Temptation is all those things of this

world that distract us.

If we let the things of this world get in

the way of finding that path to God,

then that is a sin, and should not

viewed as eternal damnation. Even

“Godly” folk are prone to be sinful in

this world from time to time.

The easy fix for that “sinful condition”

is to know that and get back on the

right path. Sadly, that’s easier said

than done for most of us sinners. This

is why forgiveness is important.

“Shaun,

That KelticDead Guy”

Patrick O. Young,

KelticDead Music

Visit

KelticDead Music

SFM

MAGAZINE

MARYLAND FOL

SEPTEMBER

Friday, September

Saturday, Septemb

Sunday, Septembe

Website link: https://m

THE MISSION OF THE MARYLAND

FOLK FESTIVAL

The Maryland Folk Festival is dedicated to creating

unique experiences of discovery and learning,

cultivating cultural and ethnic diversity, and pursuing

all opportunities to inspire, and enlighten through

music, dance, food, crafts, and other folk arts.

It is the festival’s objective and intent to foster a greater

understanding of diverse cultures and traditions

and to promote the vibrancy and inclusivity of our

communities.

SALISBURY

Founded in 1732, Salisbury is the county seat of

Wicomico County, a place where John Smith touched

land in 1608 during his exploration of the Chesapeake

Bay bringing him in contact with the Wighcocomoco

or Wicomico, the Nause, the Kusk’arawack, and the

Nantaquack or Nanticoke tribes who had lived in the

region for several millennia. Situated on Maryland’s

historic Eastern Shore at the crossroads of the

Delmarva Peninsula, Salisbury is now one of the

region’s largest cities, and serves as the capital of the

Eastern Shore, a rural area defined by its agricultural

and maritime traditions, landscapes, and industries.

The Chesapeake Bay is central to this distinctive

identity. Though a relatively small city, Salisbury is the

geographic and economic hub of one of the nation’s

fastest-growing Metropolitan Statistical Areas. Led by

a dynamic mayor, the City of Salisbury is working to

build its reputation as an arts and culture destination

and is aligning its downtown development and

revitalization efforts with the arts. Salisbury believes

hosting the National Folk Festival is the perfect catalyst

to further a cultural renaissance and urban renewal.

https://salisbury.md/

ABCD EVENTS

The Arts, Business, & Culture Department is

responsible for fostering Salisbury’s thriving economic

climate through supporting business, expanding

economic opportunity, promoting artistic expression,

hosting unique experiences, and maintaining

regional attractions such as the Salisbury Zoo and

Poplar Hill Mansion. By producing signature events,

facilitating business incentives, and collaborating with

stakeholders, this department strives to make Salisbury

a place where arts, business, and culture intersect and

flourish.

| 14 janeshieldsmedia@gmail.com

Klife FESTIVAL

19 - 21 2025

19, 6:00 PM – 9:30 PM

er 20, Noon – 9:30 PM

r 21, Noon – 6:00 PM

dfolkfest.com/about/

FOLKLIFE PERFORMERS AND

DEMONSTRATORS WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN

JUNE 2025.

MARYLAND TRADITIONS FOLKLIFE

AREA & STAGE

Within its most basic of definitions, Folklife is the

sharing of living traditions, and is commonly associated

with practices such as dance, song, and art. But when

you consider traditions that have sustained and evolved

within generations and communities as our state

has grown, you begin to recognize that Folklife itself

is what binds us all. We learn where we come from

through the passing on of information, from generation

to generation. And while much of this history is told

through an oral narrative, there are stories that live

within everything we do that define our cultural

heritage. A family recipe, a community spiritual

practice, traditional craft, and standards of work; they

all tell a story to identify our place in the world, and

when we pass on these traditions to others, it becomes a

part of their story, too. The Folklife Area celebrates the

gathering of community as we share in these traditions

and build upon the great Maryland Story.

Maryland Folk Festival is September 19-21, 2025.

Friday, September 19, 6:00 PM – 9:30 PM

Saturday, September 20, Noon – 9:30 PM

Sunday, September 21, Noon – 6:00 PM

Opening Ceremony begins at 6:00 PM on Friday,

September 19.

Food sales will open at 5:30 PM on Friday and

11:00 AM on Saturday and Sunday.

Beer & Wine sales will open at 6:00 PM on Friday

and 12:00 PM on Saturday and Sunday.

Performer submissions are taken year round for this

festival and future events. There is no deadline.

How to apply:

If you’re interested in performing at the Maryland Folk

Festival, there are two ways to submit your materials. All

artists must follow these guidelines.

When submitting your materials, you must include the

following:

Audio and/or Video Sample/Links

Biographical Information

Press Materials

Note: that these materials will NOT be returned.

The PREFERRED METHOD for applying to perform at

the Maryland Folk Festival is electronically.

Materials may be submitted HERE


15 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

ST IVES SUMMER

13TH - 27TH SE

WEBSITE LINK https://ww

THE 2025 ST IVES SEPTEMBER FESTIVAL

WILL TAKE PLACE

From Saturday September 13 until Saturday September 27

WELCOME once again to our beautiful town by the sea

in Cornwall for an exciting 15 days of music and arts

The new venue for headline music events is St Ives

Theatre following its major renovation project. With a

seated capacity of 312, it is an amazing place and, for the

first time, September Festival-goers will be able to book

numbered seats so it is first come first served to reserve

the best ones!

The Festival will once again burst into life with the first

of two vibrant Saturday afternoons of Aspects-sponsored

Street Entertainment on September 13 with the Falmouth

Marine Band leading the way. Check out the Street

Entertainment page.

The opening day will herald two weeks of events including

music, poetry, comedy, films, exhibitions, talks,walks,

workshops, Open Studios and so much more . . .with free

admission to many events.

We will be announcing lots more exciting attractions so

keep following the Festival website and Facebook

COMING TO OUR 2025 SEPTEMBER FESTIVAL

STEVE KNIGHTLEY, front man of Show Of Hands,

heads back to the September Festival, with his own show

following the 2023 sell-out appearance with SOH partner

Phil Beer as the pair prepared to go their separate musical

ways with their year-long Final Circle tour. Festival patron

Steve will be bringing familiar favourites and new songs to

St Ives Theatre on Friday September 26. TICKETS

MARTIN SIMPSON (right) an evocative singer

acknowledged as one of the finest acoustic and slide guitar

players in the world and a multi-award winner, returns to

the September Festival on Friday September 19 following

his brilliant 2021 appearance. TICKETS

MARTHA TILSTON (left) a contemporary folk

performer and film-maker appears at St Ives Theatre

on Thursday September 25. Martha has independently

released 10 albums on her Squiggly Records label, written,

directed and starred in her own feature-length 2021 film

The Tape and was nominated for Best Arts Film at the

2019 Celtic Media Festival. TICKETS

THE COUNTRYMEN (right) return for the opening

night of our 2025 Festival – Saturday September 13

– following their high-energy St Ives debut in 2022.

TICKETS

THE UNRAVELLING WILBURYS The Unravelling

Wilburys perform the songs of 1980s supergroup The

| 16


FESTIVAL 2025

PTEMBER 2025

w.stivesseptemberfestival.co.uk/

aaa

Traveling Wilburys on Sunday September 14. They

also dip into the back catalogue of each of its legendary

members – George Harrison, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Roy

Orbison and Jeff Lynne (ELO), with their unique slant on

what it means to be a tribute band. TICKETS

THIS FLIGHT TONIGHT – SONGS OF JONI

MITCHELL on Sunday September 21 is Zervis & Pepper’s

five-piece acoustic tribute to the music of Joni Mitchell on

Sunday September 21 featuring songs such as California,

Blue, Woodstock, Both Sides Now, Coyote, Big Yellow

Taxi, A Case Of You and more. TICKETS

THE EMERALD DAWN, multi-award-winning art rock

band who have been making huge waves in the British

progressive rock scene, in a rare home-town appearance.

With special guests Dandelion Charm, an alternative folk

duo, combining folk, rock and prog influences with a

sound reminiscent of the late 60s, early 70s. TICKETS

For full details click on our St Ives Theatre venue page.

ST IA CHURCH’S headline attraction will be singersongwriter

Roo Panes. The Church also has tickets on sale

for Just Like Clay, Molly Hocking, Bryher’s Boys, Bailey

Tomkinson and The Locals, Karnos Brass Band, Rudi’s

Message and the Celtic Male Ensemble. Click on the St Ia

Church venue page for full details and ticket-booking

ST IVES ARTS CLUB has tickets on sale for Will Keating


and John Dowling, Miranda Sykes, Martyn Barker’s Tea

Band, Dave and Dee Brotherton, Richard Trethewey Trio,

Jim Causley, Seamus Mckenna, Alex Hart with Adam

Sweet and Joanna Cooke . . . plus a screening of the film

Enys Men with a Q&A with director Mark Jenkin and a

lunchtime talk by author Liz Fenwick. Click on the St Ives

Arts Club venue page for full details and ticket-booking

ARKangel are bringing their new 2025 show Lullaby

Of Harlem: Birth Of The Blues to St Ives Society Of

Artists’ Mariners Gallery on Wednesday September

17. Last year’s ARKangel show sold out so don’t miss

out TICKETS

The Comedy Club Live at St Ives will bring three top

comedians – LAURA LEXX, PATRICK MONAHAN and

RICH WILSON to St Ives Theatre while Cornish funny

man Johnny Cowling is appearing at St Ives Arts Club.

Check our our COMEDY PAGE

If you would like your music or arts event to be part

of the 2025 September Festival email us at info@

stivesseptemberfestival.co.uk and we’ll get back to you.

SPECIAL THANKS TO:-

All our wonderful sponsors – Tregenna Castle Hotel and

Resort, St Ives Town Council, St Ives BID, Aspects Holidays, St

Ives Brewery, St Ives Rotary, Carbis Bay Holidays, Greenwood

Wilson accountants and 2025 newcomers Cornish Horizons, St

Ives Holidays and the Ayr Holiday Park.

17 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

Charles Cleveland Poole (March 22, 1892 –

May 21, 1931) was an American old-time

musician and leader of the ‘North Carolina

Ramblers’, a string band that recorded many popular

hillbilly songs between 1925 and 1930. Poole has

been regarded as a pioneer of country, bluegrass and

folk music.

Poole was born near the mill town of Franklinville,

North Carolina. He was the son of John Philip Poole

and Elizabeth Johnson. In 1918, he moved to the

town of Spray, North Carolina, now part of Eden.

As a child, he learned to play the banjo. He played

baseball, and his three-fingered technique was the

result of an accident. Whilst betting that he could

catch a baseball without a glove, the ball broke his

thumb as he closed his hand too soon, resulting in a

permanent arch in his right hand.

Poole bought his first banjo, an Orpheum No. 3

Special, with profits from making moonshine.

He later appeared in the 1929 Gibson Company

catalogue to promote their banjo.

Poole and his brother-in-law, fiddle player Posey

Rorer, whom he had met in West Virginia in 1917

and whose sister he married, formed a trio with

| 18

guitarist Norman Woodlie called the “North

Carolina Ramblers”. They auditioned in New York

for Columbia Records. After signing a contract, they

recorded “Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down Blues” on

July 27 1925. This song was successful, selling over

106,000 copies at a time when there were estimated

to be only 6,000 phonographs in the southern United

States, according to Poole’s biographer and greatnephew,

Kinney Rorrer. The band was paid $75 for

the session.

For the next five years, “Poole and the Ramblers”

were a popular band. The band’s sound remained

consistent, although several members came and

left (including Posey Rorer and Norm Woodlief).

The band recorded over 60 songs for Columbia

Records during the 1920s, including “Sweet Sunny

South”, “White House Blues”, “He Rambled”, and

“Take a Drink on Me”. Former railroad engineer Roy

Harvey was one of the guitarists. Fiddlers in various

recording sessions were Posey Rorer, Lonnie Austin

and Odell Smith.

Bill C. Malone, in his history of country music,

‘Country Music, U.S.A’., said:

“The Rambler sound was predictable: a bluesy fiddle


Charlie Poole

lead, backed up by long, flowing, melodic guitar runs

and the finger-style banjo picking of Poole. Predictable

as it may be, it was nonetheless outstanding. No string

band in early country music equaled “the Ramblers’”

controlled, clean, well-patterned sound.”

Poole composed few of his recordings, mostly

covering old folk songs. Nevertheless, his dynamic

renditions were popular with a broad audience in the

Southeast United States. He is considered a primary

source for old-time music revivalists and aficionados.

Songs like “Bill Morgan and His Gal”, “Milwaukee

Blues”, and “Leavin’ Home”, have been resurrected

by banjo players. Poole developed a unique

fingerpicking style, a blend of melody, arpeggio, and

rhythm (distinct from clawhammer/ frailing and

Scruggs’ variations).

Poole had been invited to Hollywood to play

background music for a film, but died before this

could happen in May 1931. His cause of death was a

heart attack due to alcohol poisoning.According to

some reports, he had been disheartened by the slump

in record sales due to the Depression.Poole’s music

saw a revival in the 1960s, most likely due to his

inclusion on the 1952 ‘Anthology of American Folk

Music’, and his renditions have been re-recorded by

numerous artists, such as John Mellencamp with

“White House Blues”, The Chieftains, New Lost City

Ramblers, Holy Modal Rounders and Hot Tuna

with “Hesitation Blues”, and Joan Baez with “Sweet

Sunny South”. The Grateful Dead’s popular song

“Deal” was influenced by “Don’t Let Your Deal Go

Down”.

His recordings have also appeared on numerous

compilations of old-time music. Since 1995,

Poole’s legacy has been carried on every year

in Eden, North Carolina, during the month of

June when the ‘Piedmont Folk Legacies, Inc’, a

non-profit organization, hosts the “Charlie Poole

Music Festival”. Bob Dylan in his Nobel Lecture

acknowledged Poole and several lyrics of his song

“You Ain’t Talkin To Me”.

including such important songs as “Don’t Let Your

Deal Go Down”, “Can I Sleep in Your Barn Tonight,

Mister?”, “Old and Only in the Way” (the title of

which was used by Jerry Garcia to name his 1970s

bluegrass band with David Grisman, ‘Old and

in the Way’), and “White House Blues”, adapted

by John Mellencamp, who in 2004 updated the

politically charged lyrics and changed the title to “To

Washington”. In addition to 43 of Poole’s original

recordings, the package features performances by

other early roots music players and singers, including

Fred Van Eps, Arthur Collins, Billy Murray, Floyd

Country Ramblers, Uncle Dave Macon and The

Red Fox Chasers.

The original liner notes, by Peter Stampfel, state,

“Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers

recorded an incredible number of songs that are

personal favorites of mine. Poole is, in fact, one of the

great musicians of the century. No doubt about it.”

The album’s cover art was created by Robert Crumb,

the celebrated illustrator and an old-time music

aficionado.

Kinney Rorer penned a biography of Charlie

Poole, entitled “Ramblin’ Blues: The Life and Songs

of Charlie Poole” in 1982. Rorer is a descendant of

Poole’s fiddler Posey Rorer, and is the banjo player

for the old-time music group “The New North

Carolina Ramblers”.

A double-CD album paying tribute to Poole was

released by singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright

III in August 2009. The album, entitled “High Wide

& Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project”, features

30 tracks, including new versions of songs originally

recorded by Poole, as well as tunes composed by

Wainwright and producer Dick Connette on the

artist’s life and times; it was awarded the Grammy

Award for ‘Best Traditional Folk Album’ at the 52nd

Annual Grammy Awards.

Columbia issued a three-CD box set of his music,

entitled “You Ain’t Talkin’ to Me: Charlie Poole

and the Roots of Country Music” in 2005. The

album, produced by Henry “Hank” Sapoznik, was

nominated for three Grammy Awards. It chronicles

the music made for Columbia by Poole and the

North Carolina Ramblers between 1925 and 1931,


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MAGAZINE

140786 “The Girl I Left in Sunny Tennessee”

Columbia 15043-D July 27, 1925

140787 “I’m the Man That Rode the Mule ‘Round the

World” Columbia 15043-D July 27, 1925

140788 “Can I Sleep in Your Barn Tonight Mister?”


140789 “Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down Blues”


142627 “Flying Clouds” Columbia 15106-D

September 16, 1926

142631 “Wild Horse” Columbia 15279-D

September 16, 1926

142632 “Forks of Sandy” Columbia 15106-D

September 16, 1926

142633 “Mountain Reel” Columbia 15279-D

September 16, 1926

142637 “Good-Bye Booze” Columbia 15138-D

September 17, 1926

142638 “Monkey on a String” Columbia 15099-D

September 17, 1926

142641 “Too Young To Marry” Columbia15127-D

September 18, 1926

142642 “Ragtime Annie” Columbia 15127-D

September 18, 1926

142643 “Little Dog Waltz” Unissued

September 18, 1926

142644 “A Kiss Waltz” Unissued September 18,

1926

142645 “Leaving Home” Columbia 15116-D

September 18, 1926

142646 “Budded Rose” Columbia 15138-D

September 18, 1926

142657 “There’ll Come A Time” Columbia 15116-D

September 20, 1926

142658 “White House Blues” Columbia 15099-D

September 20, 1926

| 20

charlie poole

142659 “The Highway Man” Columbia 15160-D

September 20, 1926

142660 “Hungry Hash House” Columbia 15160-D

September 20, 1926

144509 “If I Lose, I Don’t Care” Columbia 15215-D

July 25, 1927

144510 “On the Battle Fields of Belgium”

Unissued July 25, 1927

144511 “You Ain’t Talkin’ To Me” Columbia

15193-D July 25, 1927

144512 “Coon From Tennessee” Columbia 15215-D

July 25, 1927

144513 “When I Left My Good Old Home”

Unissued July 25, 1927

144514 “The Letter That Never Came” Columbia

15179-D July 25, 1927

144515 “Take A Drink On Me” Columbia 15193-D

July 25, 1927

144516 “Falling By the Wayside” Columbia 15179-D

July 25, 1927

144517 “Down in Georgia” Unissued July 25,

1927

144518 “Sunset March” Columbia 15184-D July 26,

1927

144519 “Teasin’ Fritz” Unissued July 26, 1927

144521 “Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down Medley”


146767 “A Young Boy Left His Home One Day”


146768 “My Wife Went Away and Left Me”


146769 “I Cannot Call Her Mother” Columbia

15307-D July 23, 1928

146770 “I Once Loved A Sailor” Columbia 15385-D

July 23, 1928


discography

146771 “Husband and Wife Were Angry One Night”


146772 “Hangman, Hangman, Slack the Rope”


146773 “Ramblin’ Blues” Columbia 15286-D

July 23, 1928

146774 “Took My Gal A-Walking” Columbia

15672-D July 23, 1928

146775 “What Is Home Without Babies” Columbia

15307-D July 23, 1928

146776 “Jealous Mary” Columbia 15342-D July 23,

1928

146778 “Old and Only in the Way” Columbia

15672-D July 23, 1928

146779 “Shootin’ Creek” Columbia 15286-D

July 23, 1928

148469 “Bill Mason” Columbia 15407-D May 6,

1929

148470 “Goodbye Mary Dear” Columbia 15456-D

May 6, 1929

148471 “Leaving Dear Old Ireland” Columbia

15425-D May 6, 1929

148472 “Baltimore Fire” Columbia 15509-D May 6,

1929

148474 “The Wayward Boy” Columbia 15456-D

May 7, 1929

148475 “Sweet Sunny South” Columbia 15425-D

May 7, 1929

Charlie Poole

149901 “My Gypsy Girl” Columbia 15519-D

January 23, 1930

149902 “The Only Girl I Ever Loved” Columbia

15711-D January 23, 1930

149904 “Write Letter to My Mother” Columbia

15711-D January 23, 1930

149906 “If the River Was Whiskey” Columbia

15545-D January 23, 1930

149907 “It’s Movin’ Day” Columbia 15545-D

January 23, 1930

149908 “Southern Medley” Columbia 15615-D

January 23, 1930

149909 “Honeysuckle” Columbia 15615-D January

23, 1930

150773 “Goodbye Sweet Liza Jane” Columbia

15601-D September 9, 1930

150774 “Look Before You Leap” Columbia 15601-D

September 9, 1930

150775 “One Moonlit Night” Columbia 15688-D

September 9, 1930

150777 “Just Keep Waiting Till the Good Times Come”

Columbia 15636-D September 9, 1930

150779 “Milwaukee Blues” Columbia 15688-D

September 9, 1930

150780 “Where the Whippoorwill Is Whispering

Goodnight” Columbia 15636-D September 9,

1930

148476 “He Rambled” Columbia 15407-D May 7,

1929

148477 “The Mother’s Plea For Her Son” Columbia

15509-D May 7, 1929

2913 “San Antonio” Broadway 8288 May 9, 1929

149900 “Sweet Sixteen” Columbia 15519-D January

23, 1930


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SFM

MAGAZINE

ELLEN STEKERT RELEASES HISTORIC NEW SINGLE:

“HIGH FLOODS & LOW WATERS”

A LOST WOODY GUTHRIE SONG

UNEARTHED AFTER 65 YEARS

Minneapolis, MN – May 2025 – Folklorist

and singer Ellen Stekert has released a

new single, “High Floods & Low Waters”,

a long-lost Woody Guthrie song that has remained

unheard and undocumented for more than six

decades. Originally recorded in 1959 on the CBS

television program ‘Camera Three’, this release

marks the first time the song has ever been made

publicly available. To hear it, please visit Ellen’s

website at ellenstekert.com.

OK, the song has remained completely unknown.

This release is a cultural excavation—an essential

rediscovery of Guthrie’s lesser-known work.

“When Ellen told me it was a Guthrie song, I

didn’t believe it at first,” says Ross Wylde, Stekert’s

producer. “I had looked up every line in the song and

couldn’t find any record of it. The fact that any Woody

Guthrie song would have zero digital footprint was

baffling to me.”

Performed alongside American folk luminaries Jean

Ritchie, Dave Sear, Oscar Brand, and The New

Lost City Ramblers (Mike Seeger, Tom Paley, John

Cohen), “High Floods & Low Waters” was part of a

special Camera Three episode exploring folksongs as

a form of news, titled “Ballads Are News”. Narrated

by legendary broadcaster Harry Reasoner, the

episode aired on September 13, 1959.

The song, written by Woody Guthrie in the 1940s,

addresses the devastating droughts and water

shortages affecting New York City at the time.

The single is now available on all major streaming

platforms. The complete Camera Three recording

will be released on May 16th on Bandcamp.

Website

https://ellenstekert.com/

Bandcamp

https://ellenstekert.bandcamp.com/

Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/

artist/2b0E9vFdOXNYHyLwk8li9g

“I was assigned the solo verses, with the group singing

the refrain,” recalls Stekert. “The problem was that

I had never heard the song before. John Cohen sang

it for me and recorded it on Oscar Brand’s tape

machine so I could learn it.”

That recording—and the performance it inspired—

survived only on private tapes and in the memories

of those involved. Until now.

Remarkably, “High Floods & Low Waters” was never

published, and to the knowledge of Stekert’s team,

no other lyrics or recordings of it have surfaced

publicly. Aside from a mention of its title in the

catalog of the Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa,

| 22


Ellen Stekert Project

HIGH FLOODS AND

LOW WATERS

I stand on a high marble place and look down

See the wild rushing waters flood city and town

High floods and low waters all around, all around

High floods and low waters all around

_____

Now New York City is stony-bone dry

While down in Georgia, it pours from the sky



_____

At the hospital blaze, well, the fireman said, “Yes, sir”

“I’d save more people if I had the pressure”



_____

Now, New York City is a devil of a place, sir

Drinking hot, burning whisky without any chaser



_____

Bow down with your neighbor and ask yourselves why

Some cities are flooded while others bone-dry



Credits

Released May 9, 2025

Performers: Ellen Stekert, Jean Ritchie, Oscar Brand, T

he New Lost City Ramblers, Dave Sear

Composer: Woody Guthrie

Producer: Ross Wylde

Production Assistant: Bates Detwiler

Editorial & Publicity Manager: Christopher Bahn

Cover art: Multiple-exposure photograph from

Camera Three by Ellen’s brother, Jim Stekert


23 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

ELLEN STEKERT RELEASES NEW SINGLE:

“FOUR STRONG WINDS”

Minneapolis, MN – June 2025 – In celebration of Pride Month, folk-music legend Ellen Stekert

releases this haunting version of the Ian Tyson classic “Four Strong Winds”. This song was recorded

in the mid-1960s. Accompanying Ellen is Marge Doherty, a fellow educator and friend of Ellen’s, who

also happened to be a talented singer. This recording is an artifact of LGBTQ+ history.

ABOUT THE ALBUM

Here Is Ellen’s Amazing Essay About Marge And This Recording Session:

“Marge was in her early 20s when we met, blonde, fresh-looking, about 5’6”, and clearly very bright. I was

in my early 30s, living in Detroit, teaching folklore at Wayne State University. She was in college in a nearby

town, finishing her Master’s degree in Physical Education.

It was in the mid-1960s, and I don’t remember exactly how I met her, but I do recall she was part of a group

of women physical education teachers who worked at some of the small colleges in the Detroit area. Most

members of the group, including Marge, were queer. I’m sure that they knew I was hardly adverse to such

relationships, but although both Marge and I knew each other’s ‘proclivities,’ we also knew that our singing

somehow transcended any such relationship. As far as I was concerned, the best of our relationship was

what we had in our singing… and I wouldn’t have disturbed that for the world.

I had never felt as inspired by anyone’s harmonies or musical interaction with my singing as I did with

Marge. She was immensely talented and had an innate ability to predict when and where I would start and

stop, syncopate, or accelerate. I never analyzed her harmonies, and I don’t think I want to. In many ways, it

is like trying to explain why you love someone, and I did love Marge in our singing, although we never had

the physical involvement that it seemed she was keenly afraid of.

In the social environment in which I knew her, such a relationship would have been assumed. Looking back

on it, I believe that both of us were determined not to bend to ‘social pressure’ any more than we were determined

not to bend to our own inclinations, which I believe we both had.

When Ross and I decided to put ‘Four Strong Winds’ onto streaming platforms, Ross suggested I contact

Marge so she could hear it. I found her, or rather, I found her obituary. She had died years ago, quite young,

having had what seems a generous and good life as a physical education instructor. But the most poignant

thing I read was that she was remembered as being fond of singing and playing her guitar. She never played

the guitar when I knew her, and I wondered whether she had found someone else to sing with.

In their advanced years, couples often point to songs that marked their developing relationship. Marge and I

could never have done that; Marge and I were the song.”

“Four Strong Winds” is available now on BandCamp.

Ellen’s website, ellenstekert.com

Ellen on Bandcamp

Ellen on Spotify

| 24


Ellen Stekert Project

Ellen at SUNY

Stonybrook in 1965


25 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

Introducing...

Joe

Jencks

Joe Jencks is a 25-year veteran of the international folk circuit, an award-winning

songwriter, and celebrated vocalist based in Chicago. Merging conservatory

training with his Irish roots and working-class upbringing, Joe delivers engaged

musical narratives filled with heart, soul, groove and grit. Having penned several

#1 Folksongs including the ever-relevant Lady of The Harbor, Jencks was also cofounder

of the harmony trio, Brother Sun.

Article: Joe Jencks - Above Image: BMP - Further Images Credited Where Possible

People occasionally

underestimate Joe Jencks.

But they rarely do it

twice. Joe is a stalwart

fixture of the North American

Folk scene, having been on the

road in the U.S. and Canada for

close to 30 years. He is also a

dual U.S./ Irish citizen who has

performed solo in Ireland, the

Caribbean, Central America,

and he recently traveled to South

Africa. And at 53, he feels like

the artistic adventure is really just

beginning to blossom.

What people often notice first

about Joe Jencks is his voice. He

has a vocal quality that has

been favorably compared to the

edgy richness of a good sea-salt

caramel. But quickly people

hone in on his keen sense of lyric

composition and the beautiful

and frequently very singable

melodies that he composes to

accompany his deeply considered

poetry.

Classically trained, Joe earned a

Bachelor of Music in Vocal Music

Performance from Millikin

University in Illinois. But his

heart was set on Folk Music from

the get-go. Joe took advantage

of the university recording

| 26


Joe Jencks

studio (and a minor in audio

engineering/ commercial music)

and recorded his first full-length

album at age 22 (1994), just after

graduation from conservatory.

He seemed to understand what

many of his peers did not yet

realize: that the music industry

was shifting swiftly and vividly,

and that any young artist who

wanted to make a go of it would

need to build their own pathway.

There were very few label deals

being offered, especially in Folk.

And if a performing career as a

singer/ songwriter and Folksinger

was going to be a reality - it would

be one created uniquely by each

artist in collaboration with their

peers.

Joe’s interest and commitment

to grass-roots organizing,

progressive politics, and social

justice has gone hand in hand

with his artistic and musical

evolution. And learning how to

organize from leaders in many

movements has also been integral

for Joe in learning how to

organize a solid career,

independent of the mainstream

music industry.

When Joe was 8 years old, he was

given a copy of Pete Seeger and

Arlo Guthrie’s first live

concert album by his older sister,

Jean. It was a turning point.

Already steeped in folksongs

and tunes from Ireland, Quebec,

and the U.S., Joe had not yet been

exposed to this vital vein of Folk.

He began learning all the songs

on the double album by ear, and

with a few guitar lessons from

his sisters Jen and Julie, he was

off and running in the footsteps

of giants. Joe could hardly have

imagined at the time that he

would become friends with Pete

Seeger, much less perform with

him, and several other of his other

Folk heroes.

Joe says:

“This is the magic of Folk. It is a

vast global community, and also

a small village where friendships

and alliances of common purpose

and mutual respect can be built.

It is a part of the music and

entertainment world where who

you are in your soul, how you

behave in community, and how

you treat your peers still maters

more than how much money you

make or how famous you become.

Folk is a part of the music world

where people still come first. That

is what drew me into Folk music,

and it is why I am still here. My

heroes all wrote and sang songs

that helped me to understand more

of the world around me, and to see

the deep and beautiful humanity

of others through the music.”


27 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

emancipation and the ongoing

question equality and equity. But

in the second act of

the show, Joe’s role evolved into

the voice of hope for equality,

seamless integration, and

enduring respect of both shared

humanity and cultural differences.

When Joe was in

Kindergarten and

first grade, he had

a music teacher

who changed the course of his life

and art: Dorothy Paige Turner.

She was and is a gifted music

educator who grew up outside of

Little Rock, Arkansas. Steeped in

the Black Church, Gospel, and the

Jazz greats, Dorothy felt that the

greatest contribution she could

make to the future and to the Civil

Right’s movements was to

empower young people with the

capacity to make music and tell

their own stories.

“She understood the inherent value

of art and culture as an organizing

tool and a part of healthy human

spiritual and emotional expression.

She understood that every time we

experience the music of other

cultures and other peoples, we grow

and learn and build inroads to

seeing the full measure of other’s

humanity. Music can be a passport

into a place of understanding some

portion of the lived experience of

other people, and Dorothy was

handing out those passports for free

to anyone who wanted to travel.”

When Joe was 15 years old, he

was invited by Dorothy to join her

Black Theater Ensemble in

his hometown, Rockford, IL. Joe

accepted the invitation and was

for the next four years, the

only white member of the BTE.

The ensemble performed a show

written by Dorothy called

Freedom Journey. It was a stage

presentation combining music

from many sources alongside

writings from Black American

writers, poets, philosophers,

theologians, and liberation

leaders.

Joe was asked to play some hard

roles in the show, as part of telling

the story of African American /.

One night after a particularly

poignant rehearsal, Joe says he was

a wreck.

“I sat on the edge of the stage

and began gently weeping.

We had just rehearsed a scene

where I was playing the role of a

slave auctioneer. The profound

inhumanity of seeing other humans

as property became real for me in

a way that a textbook could never

explain. I was looking into the

eyes of my fellow actors, and being

asked to reenact the sale of human

beings and in this case it was

devastating.”

“As I sat on the edge of the stage

after that rehearsal, Dorothy saw

me, and walked over to me and

placed her hand on my sternum,

over my heart. She looked me in

the eyes and said. ‘We have asked

you to do a really hard thing so

that we can tell a story that needs

to be told. But you need to know

that no-one here is confused about

who you are. We see you for who

you are, not the role we have asked

you to play in this moment.’”

Joe continued, “One by one, the

other ensemble members came over

to me and placed a hand on my

arm, shoulder, back, etc. It was a

laying of hands in sort of a biblical

sense. And we each had a moment

of feeling the gravity of the story

we were telling under Dorothy’s

amazing leadership. We all had

tears, and we all saw in each other

the fellowship that was needed

| 28


to take on such weighty subject

matter. I think now as I look back

on that moment, about how so

many people need to hear this

sentence. About how many things

could change in the world if people

really felt witnessed and seen for

the journeys they have been on, the

quiet successes that have helped

create, and the trials they have

endured.

It continues to galvanize me into

placing my art, my voice, my pen,

in service to stories bigger than

myself. I realized on a visceral level

through the four years that I was in

the Black Theater Ensemble, that

music and art were tools we could

use to open hearts and minds,

and to make sure certain aspect of

history were not forgotten. And,

maybe even help shape the future

by changing enough hearts through

art, right now.”

Joe cites his friendship with Pete

Seeger as a significant reference

point in shifting his adult

understanding of the power of

music to bring people together

and bridge distances between

differing perspectives.

He says, “When I first met Pete, I

had him up on a pedestal. He was

everything I wanted to be. But then

I realized that Pete did not really

want to be on a pedestal. Hanging

out with him was like being at my

Mother’s kitchen table. There was

always room for another place

setting at the table in the home I

grew up in. And with Pete, there

was always room for another

person in the spotlight.”

“We had been in the community

for several years. But when we

really got to know each other

around 2002, I was angry and sad,

about a lot of things. The world

seemed to be sliding backward

from the progress we’d made in

human rights, civil rights, in

deconstructing colonialism, and in

dismantling oppressive economic

models. Racism, classism,

homophobia, and a new form of

economically driven colonialism

were all on the rise. I was

discouraged.”

Pete said, sort of nonchalantly:

“People always called me a ‘protest’

singer. But I never understood

that. If you look at what I wrote,

what I’ve recorded, the songs I put

on stage, the artists with whom

I collaborate, you can see that

I’ve spent most of my life singing

about what I am for, not what I

am against. I think you will find

it easier to go through the world

being about what you are for,

rather than what you are against.”

“Those were words that I needed

to hear, precisely at that time,”

says Joe. “I needed to transcend

my own disappointment and

accept that I was dedicating myself

to generational work. And that

music was the set of tools I was

choosing to use to try and nudge

the world just a little bit further

in a direction that would be more

respectful of all people, more

inclusive, more hopeful. I needed to

accept that I would not finish much

of the work that I was choosing.

But that I could help further the

efforts to move people toward the

ability to see and value each

other. Even when they disagree.”

Joe says that the inspiration for

most songs are the people he

meets in his travels, and the

amazing places he is privileged to

visit as a result of the doors that

the music opens up. When asked

about his writing process, Joe says

that he almost always begins with

Joe Jencks

a melodic motif and frequently

that motif is paired at inception

with a precise lyric line or phrase.

The songs expand outward from

there. Sometimes the melody is

a verse, sometimes a chorus or a

refrain. Sometimes a song begins

with the last verse, and then he

has to figure out how he got there.

Sometimes songs unfold in a clear

linear fashion. And a rare few

are in essence impressionism, an

attempt to capture a momentary

feeling and lend dimension to it.

Regardless, Joe been devoted to

the pathway of the troubadour

and the balladeer for most of

his life. Transcending genres,

various ensembles, and solo

iterations of his career, the

through line of the narrative form

is a constant. Joe has always been

a story-teller who invites his

audience into the story, invites

his listeners to see others as fully

human and of value and interest.


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All of this could

perhaps make one

see Joe as terminally

earnest. But not to be

underestimated, Joe also brings a

surprising amount of humor into

his songwriting and onto his stage.

He is a consummate performer

and storyteller in spoken form

as well. And that keeps his

shows upbeat and his audiences

genuinely engaged. There is a kind

of authenticity that one receives

in a Joe Jencks concert that is

hard to quantify and even harder

to replicate. But regardless of

subject matter from the sublime

to the laughable and laudable, Joe

radiates a kind of sincerity that is

alluring.

When asked about his stage

presence and performing style, Joe

chuckles quietly and says, “I

don’t think we always know why

something has moved us. And it

is easy to get lost in intellectual

machinations of why a thing

touched us, the nuance of lyric

or melody, brush stroke or style.

But if we are paying attention, we

absolutely know when we have

stubbed our toe on something that

is real. And most often, I think

we come into that consciousness

when we encounter something

that transcends the manufactured

aspect of commercialized mass

produced culture.

“We love hand-made pottery,

hand-made art and utensils, and

hand-crafted music for the

same reasons. These things capture

some aspect of our humanity and

reflect it back to us in a way that

helps us stay grounded. I don’t

think perfection is the goal of most

art or artisans. It is authenticity

that I think most of us are reaching

for. And when we notice a slight

imperfection in a hand-made

mug, a painting, or even in a

performance, we come to know

that we are experiencing something

that was crafted by real people,

not by machines. We are receiving

some little piece of the worker’s

heart, of the artisan’s heart. And as

we value that humanity manifest

in one form or another, we are

reconnected to our own being in a

way that is healing. I aspire to let

my performances be an invitation

to others and to myself, helping all

of us land just a little bit more in

our center.”

Joe has released 14 full-length

albums over the course of his

career, and several EPs and

singles. And each album is unique.

Each reflects a different aspect

of his songwriting, playing,

musicology interests, and cultural

heritage. Each has something to

say.

Joe’s 2017 solo album: Poets,

Philosophers, Workers, and

Wanderers was a bit of a magnum

opus. Joe worked on the record

for three years in-between other

projects, and personal transitions.

| 30


Joe Jencks

Joe was just winding down touring

with Brother Sun, a trio which

he co-founded with Pat Wictor

and Greg Greenway, and was still

performing 50 or 60 solo shows a

year alongside the trios schedule.

But patience and time paid off.

‘Poets’ earned #1 Artist, #1 Song,

and #1 Album on the Folk

Alliance International/ Folk DJ

charts. And the album spent

several weeks at #1 on the SIRIUS

XM Americana chart. In 2013,

Joe’s song ‘Lady of The Harbor’

was the #1 song for the year on the

Folk Alliance International/ Folk

DJ chart. And that song has been

covered by dozens of other artists.

In 2022, Joe released ‘The Coming

of The Years’, an album blending

songs he wrote while on tour in

Ireland over an 8 year period,

as well some Trad. songs and

contemporary songs written by

colleagues whose music is part of

the Irish & Celtic traditions such

as Luka Bloom, Kat Eggleston,

Maria Dunn, and Dougie

MacLean.

While being a singer songwriter,

Joe has never lost his love of Folk

music. The people the songs are

about, and his sense of connection

to centuries of tradition continue

to come alive on his stage and find

evolution through his own artistic

process. In 2005 he released an

album devoted to songs about

work and workers - spanning

a 150 years of American Labor

songs and blending in a few

original contemporary Labor

anthems. That album, ‘Rise as

One’, continues to be one of Joe’s

most widely distributed projects.

In 2018, Joe released an album

called ‘The Forgotten: Recovered

Treasures from The Pen of Si

Kahn’. It is a project where Joe

brought life to a set of songs

written by famed U.S. artist/

activist Si Kahn - songs that Si

had never recorded, and some of

which were not yet finished.

Joe was handed parts of 74 songs,

and filtered all of that into a

cohesive project that celebrates

“the people” in the best sense

of the Folk traditions. And this

willingness to uplift the work of

other writers in the tradition is

part of what distinguishes Joe

Jencks from many contemporary

Folk, Americana, and modern

singer songwriters. He sees

himself as being a thread in

a beautiful tapestry of music

that extends both forward and

backward in time. And his

music bridges the gap between

past and future in unexpected and

beautiful ways.


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Joe says: “I grew up in a

working class city in the

industrial heartland of the

U.S., and I wanted to see more

of the world. I started playing out

for fun and then for money in my

mid-teens, and

quickly understood that this was

my calling. This was my path.”

Joe continues, “Through the

albums that came into the house

- and spanning the musical tastes

of all of my older siblings and my

parents, I began to see that music

was a vessel that I could sail out

onto the sea of humanity, and

explore the beautiful and vast

expanses of human experience

and culture. I began to see that

while I might not become famous,

that music could be my ticket to

anywhere I wanted to go. And I

was really blessed to have some

supportive family members,

community, and educators who

nourished that spark within me.

I have a beautiful and humble

life, and it is interwoven with the

people and artists who were my

heroes growing up, and the next

generation of artists who equally

inspire me to stay on the path.”

“What a gift. I get to be a part

of the musical community that

first led me into an awareness of

a wider world. And if I’m lucky,

some of my songs will help others

find their way into a wider world

as well.” Joe will be one of the

headliners at the ‘Falcon Ridge

Folk Festival’ in New England

in late July, and the ‘Fox Valley

Folk Festival’ in Illinois in late

August. He is currently producing

two records for colleagues and

working on his 15th solo studio

album.

His travels in the fall of 2025

and into 2026 will take him to

Ireland, the U.K. (October ’25),

and across North America. You

can learn more about Joe via his

website: www.joejencks.com and

via his socials.

APPRAISALS FOR JOE JENCKS

“The spirit of Folk music is

people working together. Joe is a

fantastic singer who carries on the

traditions.” ~ Pete Seeger

“In these times, we need the singers

who will do the homework and tell

the stories! Joe Jencks is among the

fine next generation singers who

are ready to carry on the tradition

as well as look into the future” ~

Holly Near, Ukiah, CA

“In a dark and frequently shallow

time, how refreshing to hear a

man willing to wear his heart on

his sleeve. How refreshing to hear

someone sing with passion about

matters which are not directly

related to HIM. A man with a

golden voice, who has a great

feeling for history, and the role that

songs play in documenting that

history. ‘The Coming of the Years’,

by Joe Jencks is a gorgeous record.

His reading of ‘City of Chicago’ is

moving to me, and I thank him

for it.” ~ Luka Bloom, Singer-

Songwriter

“With his meticulous care,

craftmanship and exquisite

sensitivity, Joe Jencks has once

again blessed us with a thoughtful

and stunningly beautiful collection.

Themed from the shaping of his

own heritage, Joe in his typically

generous way encourages each

of us to explore and reflect on

where we’ve come from. Haunting,

melancholy, hopeful and heartfelt

all at once, Joe’s gorgeous baritone

brings new perspective to the

traditional, honour and homage

to those written by others, and

breathes life to his originals. Goes

wonderfully with either a quiet

cuppa or a wee dram.” ~ Suze

Casey, Artistic Director, Calgary

Folk Club

“If one can master a craft after

investing 10,000 hours, Joe Jencks’

hours are showing! Joe tells our

stories, his story, and the untold

stories, as an American folk master

can - with heart and unfettered

perfection. Add this one to the

folk canon! ”~ MarySue Twohy,

SIRIUS XM Radio – The Village /

The Bridge

“Poets, Philosophers, Workers

& Wanderers” -is absolutely Joe

Jencks’ finest effort thus far. Jencks’

captivating tenor voice, lofted by

flawless production, demonstrates

music of conscience and provides

a feast for the ear as well as

nourishment for the soul.”

~ Rich Warren, The Midnight

Special – WFMT, Chicago, IL

“Beyond the fine selection of songs

and the talented team assembled

in the studio, what really shines

through on Joe Jencks’ new album

are his resonant, honey-rich voice,

his open-hearted humanity, and

his commitment to social justice.

We need artists who inspire our

better selves more than ever, don’t

we?”~ John Platt , Sunday Supper,

WFUV, New York, NY

“Having stumbled upon Joe Jencks

music, I’m now totally hooked.

Please take a moment yourselves to

listen to his fabulous performances,

all delivered in the way only he

can do it. Simply stunning music

screaming to be heard.” - Jane

Shields, Editor, Simply Folk Music

Magazine, Hartlepool UK

https://www.youtubecomchannel/

UCjcW_SPVdP2MXL121sCoBYw

| 32



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joe jencks - albu

LINK TO LISTEN

THE COMING OF THE YEARS

2022

1. On Eireann’s Shore

2. Caledonia

3. The Coming of the Years

4. Letter Home, 1914

5. When the Moon Rises Over

Skibbereen

6. When A Man’s In Love

7. In the Shadow of Your Ghost

8. City of Chicago

9. Winnipeg 1919

10. The Minstrel Boy

11. Can You Blame the Poor

Miner

12. Mother of My Heart

13. This Is My Song

CREDITS:

JOE JENCKS: Vocals, Electric

Bouzouki, Acoustic Guitar, Acoustic

Bouzouki

HANZ ARAKI: Flutes & Whistles

LISSA SCHNECKENBURGER:

Fiddle

SHANNON LAMBERT-RYAN:

Harmony Vocals

JOHN ROBERTS: English

Concertina

CHERYL PRASHKER: Bodhran &

Snare

LINK TO LISTEN

THE FORGOTTEN

2018

1. Why Are The Guns Still Firing

2. Shuttle & Loom

3. Morning Star

4. I’m A Stranger In This Land

5. I Have Seen Freedom Being

Born

6. Third Shift

7. Running Down The Road

8. The Old Labor Hall

9. Houdaille

10. Union Miner

11. Who Will Speak For Me

12. What Did You Learn

13. I Will Shout Youngstown

14. You Are The “U” in Union

CREDITS:

JOE JENCKS: Lead & Harmony

Vocals, Guitar, Bouzouki

CINDY CHURCH: Harmony Vocals

(Tracks 2,4,6,12)

GARY CRAIG: Drums & Percussion

ANDREW DOWNING: Cello

FRANK EVANS: Banjo

AMOY LEVY: Harmony Vocals

(Tracks 1,3,5,7,11)

CICEAL LEVY: Harmony Vocals

(Tracks 1,3,5,7,11)

JOHN SHOWMAN: Violin

BEN WHITELEY: Upright Bass

KEN WHITELEY: Mandolin, Piano,

Hammond Organ, Vibraphone,

Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar,

Accordion, Vocals

Choir: FRANK EVANS, EVE

GOLDBERG, JOE JENCKS, JANE

LEWIS, KEN WHITELY, LEN

UDOW

LINK TO LISTEN

LINK TO LISTEN

LINK TO LISTEN

POETS, PHILOSOPHERS,

WORKERS & WANDERERS

2017

1. Let Me Sing You A Song (4:34)

2. Let It Rain(5:11)

3. The Lady Juliana(5:33)

4. Best of Friends (4:11)

5. Going Home (5:50)

6. Wheelbarrow Johnny (7:55)

7. One Piece At A Time (4:59)

8. Children of Trochenbrod (4:30)

9. Longest Night of The Year (4:39)

10. Solidarity Forever (4:27)

11. Hands (5:52)

LINKS IN A CHAIN

2009

1. Links In A Chain 4:09

2. On Eireann’s Shore 4:55

3. Love Is The Reason 3:45

4. Turning Lead Into Gold 3:33

5. Bracero 5:23

6. Get Together 3:43

7. White Buffalo 5:30

8. Let The Band Play Dixie 4:32

9. Late September Moon 5:20

10. Joe Hill 3:54

11. Crossing Over 3:26

THE FLAME AND THE CANDLE

2007

1. Flame In The Darkness 4:38

2. The Sweetest of Rose 3:28

3. Come With Me 4:03

4. The Ballad of JeShawn 4:33

5. The Candle And The Flame 5:32

6. The Turtle 4:07

7. Gasoline 5:18

8. Adonde Pertenezco 3:47

12. Alice-Anne (4:00)

13. Given Myself To Love (4:31)

14. Mercy (3:09)

15. Everybody Sings The Blues (4:20)

CREDITS:

JOE JENCKS – Vocals, Bouzouki

(Bayard), Guitar (Goodall)

JON CARROLL – Piano, Accordion

JIM ROBESON – Electric Bass

(Upright & Fretted)

CHERYL PRASHKER – Percussion

HARPETH RISING: Jordana

Greenberg – Violin, Vocals

12. Fireflies 3:21

CREDITS:

JON CARROLL on acoustic grand

piano, Hammond organ, Wurlitzer

electronic piano, and Rhodes

JIM ROBESON on NS Design CR

Series 5-String electric double bass

PAT WICTOR on Guild acoustic

lap slide guitar (custom), 1948

Rickenbacher electric lap steel

“Links In A Chain” is a combination

of original Joe Jencks songs and

9. For What It’s Worth* 3:27

10. All The Pieces 4:10

11. Tikun Olam 3:30

12. Lonely Common Ground 4:31

13. All About Love 5:02

CREDITS:

JON CARROLL (Mary Chapin

Carpenter’s pianist) on keyboards

PAT WICTOR on slide guitars

MARIA DI MEGLIO - Cello, Vocals

REBECCA REED-LUNN - Banjo,

Vocals

YSAYE BARNWELL – Vocals

TRET FURE – Vocals

EDIE CAREY – Vocals

HEATHER STYKA - Vocals

REGGIE HARRIS – Vocals

CHARLIE BERNHARDT - Vocals

CATHY FINK – Banjo

GRACE JENCKS – French Horn

CHARLIE PILZER – Acoustic

Upright Bass

DAVID GLASER – Mandolin

classic folk repertoire. Ten years into

his career as a full time touring artist,

Joe pays tribute here to some of his

significant influences. With exquisite

arrangements and captivating

performances, Joe leads a team of first

rate musicians in delivering his finest

work to date. This is a live studio

project with realistic arrangements

and small concert intimacy. This

Album was on the Folk DJ Chart for

6 months, reaching #3 on the chart!

SIOBHAN QUINN on backing vocals

JIM ROBESON on electric bass

CHARLIE PILZER on upright bass

BOB BEACH on harmonica

CHARLIE BERNHARDT on vocals

THE JENCKS FAMILY on vocals


Joe Jencks

m discography

LINK TO LISTEN

ISE AS ONE

2005

1. Step By Step

2. John Henry

3.Phil (Spoken Word)

4. Song Of The Rails

5. Deportees

6. The Great Fast Food Strike

7. Which Side Are You On

8. Christmas In Mansfield

9.The Everett Massacre (Spoken

Word)

10. The House That Jack Built

11.Real People (Spoken Word)

12. Room Here For Another

13. We Won

14. War On The Workers

15. We Do The Work

16. Bremerton (Spoken Word)

17. Rosie The Riveter Revisited

18. Sixteen Tons

19. Working Class Philanthropy

(Spoken Word)

20. Rise As One

Joe Jencks’ CD Rise As One: A Live

Solidarity Concert (2005) is a musical

retrospective on the labor movement.

“In these times we need the singers

who will do the homework and tell the

story! Joe Jencks is among the fine next

generation artists who are ready to

carry on the tradition as well as look

into the future.” -- Holly Near

LINK TO LISTEN

THE WONDER DEEP WITHIN

2004

1. The Wonder Deep Within

2. How Can I Keep From Singing

3. Prayer of St. Francis

4. I Don’t Want to Hear Your Voice

Today

5. Benediction

While Joe Jencks has performed

professionally for nearly twenty years,

his first all-spiritual recording, The

Wonder Deep Within, was released

in the summer of 2004. It met

with critical acclaim from fans and

reviewers alike. Observer Magazine

said, “This recording is a profoundly

spiritual statement, and it will go far

in helping many people move toward

the spiritual centers of their own

beings.” The reviewer continued, “Joe’s

voice, so unique in its combination of

strength and vulnerability, power and

sweetness, is the perfect vehicle for

these songs.”

In 2004, Joe won the prestigious

Walnut Valley Music Festivals’

songwriting contest in the category

of “Songs of Religion and Spirit.” The

winning song is the title track off this

recording, The Wonder Deep Within.

LINK TO LISTEN

I HEAR YOUR VOICE

2003

1. Rise as One

2. Deportee

3. Highway Romance

4. Christmas in Mansfield

5. On Belay

6. You Don’t Have The Right

7. Dance with Me

8. Thank God For The Rain

9. Saro Wiwa

10. Leaving

11. Singers Of Life

12. Men Are Good

13. For The Singing

“Listen to Joe! A clear tenor voice;

a heart that’s in the right place,

close to the skin; a sense of justice

tempered by a sense of humor; and

a CD that captures ia all in rich,

tasty arrangements. How can you go

wrong?”•Charlie King

LINK TO LISTEN

WHAT KIND OF BROTHER

2000

1. Song of the Rails

2. Fox River Song

3. St. Christopher

4. Ripple In The Water

5. What Kind of Brother

6. Kiss Me Twice

7. We Cry Out

8. Gas Station Roses

9. Douglas

10. Only Love Remains

11. Goodnight Moonlight

12. Auto Mechanically Declined

“What Kind of Brother” (2000)

received national acclaim for its

powerful songwriting and passionate

singing. The track entitled ‘Auto

Mechanically Declined’ is used

from time to time on the legendary

National Public Radio show: Car

Talk! It was selected to be on a Car

Talk: Car Tunes compilation CD,

currently in circulation.

LINK TO LISTEN

PHOENIX

1995

1. Changing Seasons

2. New Beginnings

3. What Do You Want

4. Days Like These

5. Homeward Bound

6. Wise Man

7. Respect Your Elders

8. I Give It To You

9. When I Was Young

10. The Phoenix

11. The Poet

12. Highway

13. Different Kind Of Heart

Voice & Acoustic Guitar: JOE

JENCKS

Drums: CHRIS SMITH & BRIAN

GAZA

Bass: JASON POPE

Percussion: JOE ARMSTRONG,

JOHN MEZZANO, MIKE

ALBERTSON & TIM TURNER

Background Vocals: SUZANNE

SPINOSA & JOE JENCKS

Violin: GAYLA SKADDEN

Flute: ANDREA PELLOQUIN

Cello: MARIE-ALINE CADIEUX

Hopi Flue & Recorder: JOE JENCKS

Harmonica: JOE ARMSTRONG

Soprano Saxophone: SHAWN

MAHER

Tenor Saxophone: ANDY BLANCO

Acoustic Lead on The Poet: JOE

ARMSTRONG

Hammond Sample on Changing

Seasons: MIKE ENGLEHARDT

Electric “Etherial” Guitar: BILL

ALLEN

Mandolin: JOE ARMSTRONG &

JOE JENCKS


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Joe Jencks

joe jencks

tour dates

JULY 25-27

Falcon Ridge Folk Festival

Goshen, CT

Link to festival here

SEPTEMBER 24 -

OCTOBER 03

Ireland Tour

Check website here

AUGUST 24-29

TradMad Music & Dance Camp

Pinewoods Camp

Plymouth, MA

Link to camp here

OCTOBER 23-26

Folk Alliance Midwest Conference

(FARM)

Lisle IL

Link to FARM here

AUGUST 31 -

SEPTEMBER 01

Joe Jencks Performs

& Leads Workshops

Fox Valley Folk Festival

Wheeler Park

Geneva, IL


SEPTEMBER 12-13

Turtle Hill Folk Festival

Held At The Greece Baptist Church

Greece, NY


SEPTEMBER 20

Joe Jencks In Concert

8th Step @ Proctors Addy Theatre

432 State Street

Schenectady, NY

Link to theatre here

NOVEMBER 06-09

NERFA Conference

Albany, NY

Link to conference here

NOVEMBER 13-16

Joe Jencks Performs

& Leads Workshops

Colorado Educators Association Conferance

Link to website here

NOVEMBER 21

Joe Jencks & Edie Carey In Concert

Swallow Hill - Tuft Theatre

71 East Vale Avenue

Denver CO

Link for tickets here


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JEZ LOWE

Sony Award Winning Songwriter

Jez Lowe has long been one of the UK’s busiest

folk performers, playing for audiences the

world over, either solo, (with guitar, cittern and

harmonica accompaniment), or with his

band ‘The Bad Pennies’. His Men At Words tour

of North America saw Jez joining forces with James

Keelaghan and Archie Fisher for much-acclaimed

concerts across Canada and the USA. And as part of

‘The Pitmen Poets’ (with Bob Fox, Benny Graham

and Billy Mitchell), Jez has helped to rekindle the

fire in the tradition of mining songs and culture of

his native region in a series of sell out theatre

performances around the UK.

| 38

Over the last couple of decades, the likes of

Fairport Convention, The Dubliners, The

Unthanks, Wizz Jones, The McCalmans, Mary

Black, The Duhks, Bob Fox, The Young Uns, Enda

Kenny, Cherish The Ladies, Tom McConville, The

Clancys and scores more, have queued up to adopt

his songs for their own repertoires. No wonder no

less than Richard Thompson has called him “The

best singer songwriter to come out of the UK for a

long time”, and personally invited him to play

at ‘Thompson’s Meltdown Festival’ at London’s

South Bank Centre in 2010.


Jez Lowe

Jez Lowe’s contributions to the on-going BBC Radio

series The Radio Ballads has cemented this

reputation, with a Sony Radio Award among the

many accolades coming its way. The project

culminated in a live BBC Radio 2 broadcast In

November 2018 to commemorate The Great War

Centenary that featured Jez alongside the ‘BBC

Philharmonic Orchestra’ and narrator Michael

Morpurgo.

As BBC Radio DJ Mike Harding has said, “No-one

else writes or sounds like Jez Lowe”, and chances are,

even if you’ve never heard the man himself, you’ll

have heard his songs sung at festivals, club-gigs,

open-mikes or on CD, by the great and good, the

professional and the enthusiast, the young and notso-young.

What higher accolade could a songwriter

hope for?

THE BBC RADIO BALLADS 2006-2017

The BBC commissioned a new series of Radio

Ballads – inspired by the ground-breaking

programmes by Ewan MacColl and Charles

Parker of the 1950s and 60s – in 2005, and the

pilot programme, ‘The Song of Steel’, was written

and produced by John Tams and John Leonard in

that year. Jez Lowe was invited to participate in the

second programme, ‘The Ballad of The Big Ships,’

and soon became one of the long-term principal

writers for all the subsequent series. There were six

programmes in the first series, followed by a one-off,

‘The Ballad of the Miners Strike’ in 2010, then six

programmes to coincide with the London hosting of

the Olympic Games in 2012, and then five for ‘The

Ballad of The Great War’, starting in 2014. Another

“ballad” production, ‘The Ballad of Child Migration’,

was turned down by the BBC, but was then adopted

by London’s ‘Victoria and Albert Museum’ to

coincide with an exhibition they were promoting in

2015, and live performances of this, featuring most

of the Radio Ballads team, including Jez, are an ongoing

project.

Jez often refers to “The 70 odd songs I’ve done for

the BBC radio ballads” though in fact there are

around 58 in actuality. Some have been released by

Jez commercially, often in re-written or embellished

form, though most have not.

One or two have been released by others, notably The

Unthanks, who covered the song MONKEY DUNG

MAN on an album, a few years ago. One song, OLD

HAMMERHEAD, was an older composition used

in the shipbuilding programme, and at least three of

the songs submitted for inclusion ended up not being

used at all. At time of writing, two of the Great war

programmes have yet to be broadcast, so it’s not yet

known if all the songs written for this series will be

included.

The songs for the series, as broadcast, have all

been recorded by Andy Seward at his studio in

South Yorkshire, with the same team of musicians,

including John McCusker, Andy Cutting and latterly

Michael McGoldrick. However, Jez actually recorded

demos of each song prior to this, and all of these are

still in existence. Indeed, there was talk of them being

released in their entirety at one point as a double CD

collection. Instead Jez re-wrote and/or re-recorded

selected tracks for his album, ‘The Ballad Beyond’.

The entire set of “Jez Lowe Radio Ballads” songs,

the original “tapes” of which are no doubt safely

in Jez’s possession, are also currently “housed” in

an on-line drop-box for access by the BBC team.

Having been granted access also, we can tell you

that they make interesting listening. They are not

mere “roughs” as one would expect. In fact they are

all professionally recorded, multi-tracked versions,

with backing on guitar, piano, cittern, accordion,

mandolin, and occasional fiddle, with harmony

chorus often added. The songs are complete, without

the cuts and edits and narrative sections that feature

on the radio broadcasts. Many are the original

versions of the songs later re-worked for Jez’s own

use, so often have very different lyrics, alternative

melodies and very different arrangements. Most are

solo, multi-tracked recordings, but occasionally other

musicians (Bad Pennies perhaps?) are evident. And

of course, Jez takes lead-vocals on all of them, unlike

on the broadcast versions. So, here’s a full list of

known songs, in the knowledge that the recordings

themselves are unlikely to be made public some day.

(Songs marked * are unused).

BALLAD OF THE BIG SHIPS

Black Trade – Monkey Dung Man – Caps and Cards

– Old Hammerhead – Grey Stern to bow* – Taking

on Men – The Great Voltaire

SWINGS AND ROUNDABOUTS

The Waltzer – Bother at The Hoppins – Scholars in

Winter


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MAGAZINE

HORN OF THE HUNTER

Here we go a-hunting – Good Dog and True – Stain

Upon the Snow – Saboteur – House upon the Hill –

Horseback

THE ENEMY WITHIN

Unprotected – Tablets

THIRTY YEARS OF CONFLICT

Dear Mister Bomber – The Miami – Stroke City*

BALLAD OF THE MINERS STRIKE

The Judas Bus – Arthur My Dear

BALLAD OF THE OLYMPICS

Greek Chorus – Berlin – Pallusalu – Lazarus –

Watch him go – Austerity Alphabet – Johnny and

Dorando – Flags – Marathon – Did Not Compete

– Steroid Jack – Abel and Cain – Name your sons –

Eyes of Many Nations – Jesse Owens’ Shoes – Sad

Uncle Avery*

BALLAD OF CHILD MIGRATION

Landfall – Barnardo’s Party Time – Snow to Nova

Scotia – Tainted Blood

BALLAD OF THE GREAT WAR

Deep in the Dark – La Belle Epoque – Names – If I

could buy a Blighty – The Wrong Bus – The Town

Hall Yard – Trenches – The Long Balloon – Choctaw

Telephone – Theme Song 1915 (Music John Tams/

Words Jez Lowe) – Theme Song 1916 (Music John

Tams/Words Jez Lowe – Theme Song 1917 (Music

John Tams/Words Jez Lowe) – Theme Song 1918

(Music John Tams/Words Jez Lowe) – Rats – The

Nick of Time.

(Jez with Archie & JIm)

THE BAD PENNIES

‘Jez Lowe and The Bad Pennies’ have been playing

their songs and music of Northern England for

over two decades around the folk festivals, clubs

and concert stages of the world. “Acoustic simplicity

coupled with electric vitality” was how they were

described in their early days, and with a dozen

albums to their credit, along with solo albums by Jez

and by other members of the group, their following

has continued to increase.

They have played in America, Canada, Australia,

New Zealand, Holland, Belgium and of course all

over the UK and Ireland. Their annual Christmas

Tour has played to sell-out audiences across the UK

for the last 15 years, and albums such as “Northern

Echoes – Live on the Tyne”, “Wotcheor!” and 2023’s

“Snow Dancing” have delighted audiences the world

over.

Strong vocals, backed by outstanding instrumental

back-up on guitar, cittern, fiddle, fretless bass,

keyboards and Northumbrian Pipes, have made

them one of Britain’s top attractions on the folk/

acoustic/Celtic circuit.

KATE BRAMLEY

Kate Bramley joined The Bad Pennies in November

of 2000 as fiddle player and vocalist. ‘Honesty Box’

was Kate’s first full length recording with Jez, after

she worked on his Arts Council commissioned folksymphony

‘Sea of Light’ in 2000.

Kate still tours solo, and also with U.S based band

Sweetgrass, who have a number of cd releases

available. In 2006 she released a her most recent

solo album, LITTLE CANAAN, (Spotify link

here) produced by Jez, and featuring a mixture of

traditional and original songs, including some choice

cover versions of other writers’ songs. ‘The impressive

Kate Bramley’ was how the Daily Telegraph

described her voice and music. In addition to a

career in music, Kate has a career as a theatre writer

and director, running her own ‘Badapple Theatre’, as

well as freelance work for the world-renowned ‘Hull

Truck Theatre Company’, a partnership that endured

over many years. www.badappletheatre.com has all

the info on Kate’s current theatre work and some

of the many shows she has written over the last 17

years!

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Jez Lowe

DAVID DEL LA HAYE

ANDY MAY

Andy May joined The Bad Pennies in 2002, but had

worked with the band prior to his official joining by

rehearsing and recording several tracks of the CD,

‘Honesty Box’. He had also stepped in as the fourth

band member at numerous gigs during early Spring

of 2002, including the Honesty Box Launch Party in

Newcastle.

Bringing a whole new dimension to the band,

with his accordion, Northumbrian smallpipes, and

whistles, this multi-instrumentalist has quickly

expanded from being a sought-after session player

for the likes of Kathryn Tickell, to a valued member

of a live performance band. With 20 wins at open

piping competitions under his belt, his first at the

age of 13, Andy is a record-breaking and holding,

nine-time winner of the Northumbrian Pipers

Society Annual Open Competition! In addition to

his adeptness at playing the pipes, Andy also makes

them. Having studied the pipes at the University

of York, Andy has been influenced by Roland

Lofthouse, Adrian Schofield, Billy Pigg and Tom

Clough. Andy has two solo albums available on

Fellside Records, ‘Yellow Haired Laddie’ and ‘Happy

Hours’. When not playing with the Bad Pennies,

Andy tours worldwide with the band ‘Baltic

Crossing’ who celebrate their 10th anniversary this

year. http://balticcrossing.sailsofsilver.com

David de la Haye joined the Bad Pennies briefly

back in the summer of 2006 for a couple of festival

appearances and joined the band full time in Spring

2007. Dave hails originally from Jersey but is now

based permanently in Newcastle. He started out

playing bass with Border’s fiddler Shona Mooney

and has since pushed the bass to the foreground with

the Monster Ceilidh Band. They’re busy touring

with their new cross-genre sound, demonstrating

what it really means to party! Dave’s expert

bassmanship is enhanced by his technical expertise

in the recording studio – he recorded and mixed

the latest Bad Pennies album, as well as the previous

studio release ‘Wotcheor!” and was credited as

assistant producer on the earlier “Northern Echoes”.

In addition to performing with the Bad Pennies, he

works as Studio Technician at Newcastle University

www.daviddelahaye.co.uk

THE PITMEN POETS

The Pitmen Poets features four of the region’s

leading champions of its musical heritage: Ex-

Lindisfarne singer and songwriter Billy Mitchell,

renowned singer and instrumentalist Bob Fox,

leading exponent of Tyneside song Benny Graham,

and much-covered Durham songwriter Jez Lowe –

individually and collectively celebrating triumphs,

tragedy, humour and hard times of North-East

England’s coal mining tradition in an evening

of music, song and spoken word, illustrated by

atmospheric archive photography.

The Pitmen Poets Website:

http://www.thepitmenpoets.co.uk

The Pitmen Poets on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/thepitmenpoets


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JEZ LOWE DIS

LIST OF ALBUMS

JEZ LOWE - 1980

THE OLD DURHAM ROAD - 1983

GALLOWAYS - 1985

TWO A ROUE - 1986

BAD PENNY - 1989

BRIEFLY ON THE STREET - 1990

BACK SHIFT - 1992

BEDE WEEPS - 1993

BANNERS - 1994

LOWE LIFE - 1998

TENTERHOOKS - 1995

LOWE LIFE - 1998

WOTCHEOR - 2010

HEADS UP - 2012

THE BALLAD BEYOND 2014

CAULD FEET AGAIN PET - 2015

THE PITMEN POETS - 2015

THE JANUS GAME - 2016

OUBLIETTE - 2025

Please visit Jez Lowes’s website for more

details on his albums, also his novels

can be found there too. His new album

Oubilette is available from 1st June 2025.

https://www.jezlowe.com/

FACEBOOK LINK

THE PARISH NOTICES - 1998

LIVE AT THE DAVY LAMP - 2000

HONESTY BOX - 2002

FIGHTING THE TIDE - 2002

DOOLALLY - 2004

JACK COMMONS ANTHEM - 2007

NORTHERN ECHOES: LIVE ON THE

TYNE - 2008

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Jez Lowe

COGRAPHY

JEZ HAS ALSO

APPEARED ON THE

FOLLOWING ALBUMS:

Gerry Hallom, A Run a Minute,

LP, Fellside FE036, 1981

Sara Grey & Ellie Ellis, Making the

Air Resound, LP, Fellside FE039,

1984

Various Artists, A Selection from

The Penguin Book of English Folk

Songs, LP, Fellside FE047, 1986

Various Artists, Flash Company:

A Celebration of the First 10 Years

of Fellside Records, LP, Fellside

FE050, 1986

Gerry Hallom, Old Australian

Ways, LP, Fellside FE074, 1989

Hughie Jones, Hughie’s Ditty Bag,

CD, Fellside FECD81, 1991

Martyn Wyndham-Read, Mussels

on a Tree, CD, Fellside FECD84,

1992

Various Artists, Voices: English

Traditional Songs, CD, Fellside

FECD87, 1992

Edgerton Layhe, Rough & Tumble,


Various Artists, A Selection from

The Penguin Book of English Folk

Songs, CD, Fellside FECD47, 1994

Various Artists, Banklands: The

Story of Fellside Records, CD,

Fellside FECB100, 1994

Martyn Wyndham-Read, Sunlit

Plains, CD, Fellside FECD102,

1995

Lucky Bags, Delight in Disorder,


Various Artists, Port Fairy Folk

Festival, CD, Shock PFFF002CD,

2000

Various Artists, Flash Company: A

Celebration of 25 Years of Fellside

Records (1976-2001), 2 CD,

Fellside FECD156, 2001

Various Artists, The Acoustic Folk

Box, 4 CD, Topic TSFCD4001,

2002

Various Arists, Huntingdon Folk 3,

CD, Speaking Volumes SVL 08CD,

2002

Folk for Peace, Rumours of Rain,

CD single, Hypertension HYP

4231, 2004

Various Artists, Someone Was

Calling: “Folk on the Pier”

Celebrates 200 Years of Cromer’s

Lifeboats, 2 CD, Symposium SIUM

1347/48, 2004

James Keelaghan, A Few Simple

Verses, CD, Fellside FECD204,

2006

John Tams et al, The Enemy That

Lives Within (The 2006 Radio

Ballads), CD, Gott GOTTCD048,

2006

John Tams et al, The Horn of the

Hunter (The 2006 Radio Ballads),

CD, Gott GOTTCD049, 2006

John Tams et al, Swings and

Roundabouts (The 2006 Radio


2006

John Tams et al, Thirty Years of

Conflict (The 2006 Radio Ballads),

CD, Gott GOTTCD051, 2006

John Tams et al, The Ballad of

the Big Ships (The 2006 Radio


2006

Various Artists, Landmarks: 25

Years of a Leading Folk Music

Label, 3 CD, Fellside FECD203,

2006

Mrs Ackroyd Band, Dark Side of

the Mongrel, CD, Mrs Ackroyd

DOG 020, 2007

Steve Tilston, Reaching Back, 4+1

CD, Free Reed FRQCD 70, 2007

Various Artists, BBC Radio 2

Folk Awards 2008, 3 CD, Proper

PROPERFOLK05, 2008

Folk for M.S., Generosity: A

Unique Collection Celebrating

20 Years of Folk for M.S., CD,

WildGoose WGS365CD, 2009

Darwin Song Project, Shrewsbury

2009, CD, Shrewsbury Folk

Festival SFFCD01, 2009

Various Artists, Cat Nav (Guide

Cats for the Blind Vol. 4), 2 CD,

Osmosys OSMO CD 050/051,

2009

Various Artists, Trades Roots Live,

CD, Trades Roots TR001, 2009

Boo Hewerdine, Jez Lowe,

Julie Matthews, Rory McLeod,

Ruth Notman, Kate Fox, Elvis

McGonagall, All Along the Wall,


John Tams et al, The Ballad of the

Miners’ Strike (The Radio Ballads),

digital download, Delphonic

DELPH007, 2010

Various Artists, One Night for

Norma, CD, Scarlet SR027CD,

2011

David Gibb, Letters Through Your

Door, CD, Hairpin HAIRPIN005,

2014

Various Artists, BBC Radio 2

Folk Awards 2015, 2 CD, Proper

PROPERFOLK16, 2015

Various Artists, The Ballads

of Child Migration 2015, CD,

Delphonic, DELP119


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Photo Credit

Alex Thomas

| 44


Milton Hide

milton hide

“bungaroosh”


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MILTON HIDE HAVE RELEASED

THEIR NEW ALBUM

“BUNGAROOSH”

Milton Hide have released their long awaited and much anticipated

third full studio album. The duo, Jim Tipler and Jo Church from

Wilmington, East Sussex, perform and write music under the

name Milton Hide. Their first ep “LITTLE FISH” and further 2 albums

“TEMPERATURE’S RISING” and “THE HOLLOWAY” received critical acclaim

and their third album, called “Bungaroosh”, is set to be their best yet. All are

available to purchase from their website, https://www.miltonhide.com/ or to

stream on Soundcloud, Bandcamp, iTunes, Spotify, Reverbnation and Mixcloud,

with video’s available from Youtube. In addition, you can follow Milton Hide on

Facebook, Instagram and Patreon.

“Bungaroosh”, the album, is a great mix of material from this eclectic duo. Varied

in both style and subject, the songs range from traditional style folk ballads to

Americana, 50s ragtime to northern soul, stomping folk rock to etherial prog.

Thirteen tracks in total (with a suggestion that listeners keep the CD playing

after the last track ends), this album shows the progression of Milton Hide’s

work. Their first album, “Temperature’s Rising” was heavy on production with

multi-instrumentation, whereas their second album, “The Holloway,” had a

stripped back, ‘almost live’ sound. Bungaroosh combines the best lessons learned

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Milton Hide

from each.

“We enjoyed working with the producers on both albums,

each bringing something different to the process. With

“Bungaroosh” we’ve chosen the best way to represent each

song individually, happy to create an album that has the

listener guessing as each new track begins” says Jim.

Working in their home studio to record the main vocals,

clarinet, guitar, piano and banjo, the duo passed the

files and an outline brief to John Fowler at SaidZebedee

Studios in Newhaven. Multi-instrumentalist, John added

extra electric guitar, bass guitar, drums and percussion as

well as some additional backing vocals. Other musicians

who contributed to the album were Phil Jones on double

bass, Fred Gregory on Mandolin and Bruce Knapp on

electric guitar.

‘We found this a great way to work as we could record

at our own pace, often out of hours when we were both

physically and mentally ready. Our briefs to John were

accompanied by demo sketch recordings featuring virtual

drums and keyboard bass and he did an amazing job

creating a full live band sound on some of the tracks’, said

Jim.

“Allowing other musicians the creative freedom to add their

own instrumentation, with just a little guidance, adds new

layers and depths to the album that we couldn’t achieve on

our own. We are immensely pleased with the results”, said

Jo.

The term “Bungaroosh” comes from the building trade,

referring to walls that were put up cheaply and quickly

in the Regency period, mainly in the Brighton and

Hove area. These walls were filled with a variety of local,

plentiful materials including flint, chalk, pebbles and sand

held together with a lime mortar then rendered to give a

smooth finish.

The title track of this album treats “Bungaroosh” as a

metaphor for people and places in this world that hide

their true nature behind a classy facade. While this may

not translate well into a marketing strategy for their

album, Milton Hide stand by their choice of title - ‘It’s a

memorable word and starts a conversation!” says Jo.

ABOUT THE TRACKS

1 - SIMON’S NICK - an original telling of the legend

of Simon who was shown by fairies where to mine for

copper on the Old Man of Coniston (one of the highest

fells in the Lake District, UK) on the understanding he

told no-one about the fairies. With the feel of a traditional

english folk song, this ballad with guitar, mandolin,

acoustic bass guitar and cajon, bounces along with a jig


rhythm.

2 - FESTIVAL OF FREAKS - written under canvas at

‘Purbeck Valley Folk Festival’, this 50s style song extols

the virtues of being true to yourself, that we are all unique

freaks. With impressive ragtime fingerpicking on the

guitar, this is a feel good, toe tapper.

3 - JUDGE, JURY AND EXECUTIONER - get ready for

a rocking number with full band sound, big vocals and

clarinet. Taking a pop at mainstream media’s habit of

getting us all to judge others, this is a song to make you

sing along and punch the air, regardless of which channel

you watch or paper you read.

4 - SMALL BOATS - essentially a love ballad with a

message, this song was originally written for the musical,

The America Ground (2024). The song was adapted into

a waltz time for the musical but here it is performed in its

original form with anthemic piano and heartfelt vocals.

5 - GOLDFINCH - a simple song about the beautiful

birds that look far too exotic to belong in an english

garden, this is sung and performed gently with a little

fretless bass to keep it tripping along.

6 - BUNGAROOSH - the title track has an up tempo,

energetic tock style. Drums, electric bass, electric guitar,

clarinet and acoustic guitar gives a full band sound and

it has an impressive rock ending. Inspired by the Sussex

building trade term of Bungaroosh as a metaphor, this

tells of those that may look great from the outside but you

can’t see what lies within.

7 - QUICKSAND CALLING - ethereal but powerful, this

song was written in response to an audience suggestion to

write about the beauty and danger of Morecambe Bay. It

transformed into a tale of modern slavery, inspired by the

tragic plight of the Chinese cockle pickers who lost their

lives in 2004. Performed on 12 and 6 string guitars, this

track sparkles.

8 - PLACES TO GO, PEOPLE TO SEE - this upbeat, 70s

pop style semi-biographical song tells of a relationship

ending on good terms. Performed on banjo with guitars,

cajon and bass.

9 - HAYREED LANE - a song to have you in tears, this

is a simple ballad about leaving home sung with a gentle

sadness and deep emotion, echoed by haunting clarinet.

10 - OLD TOM’S STORY - tells the tale of Tom Hendrix

who built a dry stone wall installation in Florence,

Alabama, to commemorate his great great grandmother,

Te-la-nay who was forced out of her lands on the

infamous Trail of Tears but eventually found her way

home. Performed on banjo with double bass keeping the

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pace moving, this song with a chorus has a the feel of a

classic Appalachian folk song.

11 - VOODOO QUEEN - originally written by Jim

during his time with a previous band, ‘The Pistol Shrimps’.

Get your retro dancing shoes on for this 60s/70s northern

soul style fantasy horror song. With a nod to Al Wilson’s

‘The Snake’, this is another full band number, pure fantasy

and fun and will have you howling along at the end.

12 - THE WONDER - a simple, stripped back track with

pure vocals and gentle guitar, this song is asking us to

take a moment to just wonder about the world instead

of jumping onto the internet to look up the answers. A

moment of calm in a busy zone on the album.

13 - SPOIL THE GAME - and finally a big political

number, decrying the current voting system in the UK.

Big on instrumentation and vocals, this is the perfect

number the close the album….until…

HIDDEN TRACK (on CD only, not available for

download) - A Milton Hide version of the traditional

song, “Maid In Bedlam”, with banjo and vocal.

ABOUT MILTON HIDE

home.

Reviews of ‘Temperature’s Rising’, released Spring 2021:

“Eclectic in style, sound and subject matter. Delightfully

engaging and distinctly moreish ...There’s political comment

and dark undercurrent across many of the tracks, yet so

subtle and easy is the music that you don’t realise the stiletto

has arrived until it’s slid in...A very welcome addition to the

contemporary roots scene” - RnR Magazine

“‘The track ‘Say It All The Time’ has elements and overtones

reminiscent of the Moody Blues, praise indeed!” Living

Tradition

Reviews of ‘The Holloway’, released Spring 2023:

“You can almost sense its sonic tendrils inching out to

envelop you, forming a safe space around you not too

dissimilar from the titular pathway. The Holloway is

another great release from a great duo at the very height of

their musical prowess.” Adam Jenkins, FATEA

“‘..an album of charm, of sincerity, of interpretation of how

to transfix a crowd without once ever letting go of belief”

Ian D Hall, Liverpool Sound and Vision

MILTON HIDE, Jim Tipler and Jo Church from East

Sussex, weave eloquent, well-crafted story-based songs.

Jim’s guitar and Jo’s clarinet blend perfectly with the duo’s

pure vocal harmonies. Their music has been described

by critics as “reminiscent of the Moody Blues” (Living

Tradition), “a touch of Fleetwood Mac” and “vintage

Steeleye” (Spiral Earth).

Their debut album, ‘Temperature’s Rising’ was recorded

during lockdown in 2020 and released in Spring 2021.

The Holloway was released in 2023 and both albums have

received great reviews.

Building on Jim’s experience of many years playing in

folk and roots bands, they joined forces as “Milton Hide”

in 2016 and have entertained audiences at such diverse

venues as the ‘The Oasthouse Theatre, Rainham’, the

‘Telescope Dome’ at the Observatory Science Centre in

Herstmonceux and the ‘Golden Hind’ ship in London.

Folk club and Festival appearances include ‘Irvine Folk

Club’, ‘Croydon Folk Club’, ‘Rochester Sweeps’, ‘Fishguard

Folk Festival’ and ‘Wimborne Minster Folk Festival’.

A must see, Milton Hide will transport you into a

fascinating, sometimes melancholy, sometimes hilarious

world of stories in song, introducing a host of intriguing

and memorable characters on the way. At the end of the

evening you will be humming their music all the way

| 48


Milton Hide

FESTIVAL OF FREAKS

Any look is right here

In this festival of freaks

Where normal isn’t normal

Every single one’s unique

Wear your weird heart proudly

On your lace and velvet sleeve

We’re all threads in this multi-coloured

Tapestry we weave

When you don’t fit in the place you’re in

The problem’s with the place

Each of us is commonplace

In this amazing common place

When at last you feel at home

in your complicated skin

You belong right here in this place

This common place we’re in

Proudly show off all your scars

Tattoos and piercings

Wear Y-fronts and a tutu

Top it off with fairy wings

Dance your socks off honey

In your bulging lycra suit

Spin your wheels or kick your heels

Blow your trumpet or your flute

When you don’t fit in the place you’re in...

We are all exceptions to the rule

However you express yourself that’s cool

When we’re not judgemental

The exceptional’s acceptable

We are truly special one and all

Doc Martens go with sari silk

You’ve badges on your hat

A multi coloured tie-dyed shirt

Goes well with that cravat

Long hair, short hair, grey hair, none

Plaited, dreads or free

Sandals, wellies, barefoot

What’s inside we cannot see

When you don’t fit in the place you’re in..

© Milton/Hide.

JUDGE, JURY AND

EXECUTIONER

I fill the papers every day

And I will never go away

Before you read a word you know

That I won’t ever let you go

I spell the words I want to spell

I spill the beans I want to spill

The TV channel that I like

Shows all the world in black and white

There ain’t no room for doubt

I never blur the edge

You’ll never catch me out

I am the judge, I’m the jury,

I’m the executioner

Made up my mind I will not change

I know you think that’s kind of strange

I paint the world as clear as day

I won’t let facts get in my way

And all the evidence is clear

You click your mouse and it’s right here

And so your views are galvanised

You won’t believe those bloody lies

There ain’t no room for doubt...

Demanding justice is my game

But Vengeance is my middle name

And I am always in the right

I will take up your bloody fight

I’ll spin the world the right way round

I use my logic oh so sound

But then you know I’ll start again

I’ll find a whole new group of friends


A billion minds I will control

I’m gonna take away your soul

A social service without rules

I’m gonna polarise you fools

Rip up your Mail just for fun

Don’t look directly at the Sun

‘Cos you will never see the light

Avoid that Fox with poison bite


© Milton/Hide


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Phil Cooper

Playing Solitaire

PHIL COOPER IS “PLAYING SOLITAIRE”

ON NEW ALBUM Released 2nd MAY 2025

Phil Cooper (of The Lost Trades) will release his first solo album in

5 years on 2nd May 2025. Aptly named “Playing Solitaire”, Phil has

performed everything on the album, as well as taking recording and

mixing duties.

The album contains 10 songs, mostly written across the last 5 years which

remained on the back-burner while Phil focused on The Lost Trades. As

with a lot of Phil’s catalogue there is a lot of self reflection, but the album

also touches on wider issues. “Bijou” reflects the struggle facing grassroots

music venues, and long time live favourite “They Will Call Us Angels”

speaks from the point of view of a WW1 front line medic.

Musically, the album sees Phil treading the Folk/Americana path and it

should fit nicely alongside his work with The Lost Trades since 2020.

Phil Cooper is a contemporary folk-pop troubadour based in Bristol. He

is best known as one third of folk / americana trio The Lost Trades, but

has also been performing solo for the best part of two decades, sharing

the stage with the likes of Badly Drawn Boy, The Bluetones, Mark

Chadwick and many more. His vocals and varied songwriting have been

compared to the likes of James Taylor, Neil Finn (Crowded House),

Glenn Tilbrook (Squeeze), Stephen Stills and Glen Hansard. A live

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Phil Cooper

performance with Phil is friendly and engaging and

you’ll be sure to laugh and cry, all whilst tapping

your feet, and humming along to the instantly catchy

melodies he weaves.

Also working as a studio engineer and session

musician, Phil usually operates remotely from his

studio “The Lost Studio”, in Bristol, but is more than

happy to take on location based projects.

Phil is available as a session musician (guitar, bass,

vocals & percussion) and as a mixing engineer

and producer. He is also very open to songwriting

collaborations, song arrangement and other projects.

Outside of music, Phil is a digital and social

marketing expert and happy to offer his services as

an advisor/consultant for artists, venues, festivals etc.

You can discover more about Phil by visiting his

website: https://phil-cooper.co.uk/ and you can

stream his music from the following platforms:

Spotify, Apple, Amazon, Youtube, Deezer,

Bandcamp. You can follow Phil’s music on these

social media links: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok,

Threads, BlueSky, X,

TRACKLIST “PLAYING SOLITAIRE”

1 STILL HOLDING MY BREATH

2 I WONDER IF YOU CRIED

3 THAT EASY ROAD

4 NECTAN’S GLEN

5 BIJOU

6 BEAUTY IN THE CRACKS

7 REVIVE

8 THEY WILL CALL US ANGELS

9 DIRECTIONLESS

10 GET IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME

All songs written and performed by Phil Cooper

Recorded and Mixed by Phil Cooper

Mastered by Pete Maher

https://philcooper.bandcamp.com/album/playing-solitaire


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MAGAZINE

charity release

LES CARAVANES COMPILATION ALBUM

IS OUT NOW ON BANDCAMP !!!

ALL PROCEEDS WILL BE DONATED TO

MIGRANT OFFSHORE AID STATION!

THE ALBUM FEATURES UNRELEASED TRACKS FROM:

ROSIE BROWNHILL, DAISY RICKMAN, ROBIN ADAMS, SAM GRASSIE,

ALFIE JONES, EVIE HILYER-ZIEGLER & FRANCIS DEVINE

LILLETH CHINN, AGA UJMA, SONNY BRAZIL, MATAIO AUSTIN DEAN,

ISAAC I OCKENDEN, SAM FRYER, CAMPBELL BAUM,

MICHAEL RICE, ANNA MCLUCKIE & GAIL TASKER, LES CARAVANES

HTTPS://SAMGRASSIE.BANDCAMP.COM/ALBUM/LES-CARAVANES


Les Caravan

I’M DELIGHTED TO SHARE THE CARAVAN’S

(LES CARAVANES) FIRST COMPILATION ALBUM

ALL SALES WILL BE DONATED TO MOAS

(Migrant offshore aid station).

The compilation features unreleased tracks from various

artists who first met at BROADSIDE HACKS FOLK CLUB

Rosie Brownhill, Daisy Rickman, Sam Fryer, Campbell

Baum, Sam Grassie, Evie & Francis, Robin Adams,

Alfie Jones, Lileth Chin, Aga Ujma, Sonny Brazil,

Mataio Austin Dean, Isaac I. Ockenden, Michael Rice,

Anna McLuckie & Gail Tasker

All tracks recorded and mixed by the contributing musicians

except “GAME OF CARDS” and “SLEEPING TUNE”.

“HANGING ON A STAR” written by Nick Drake.

“ANNAN WATER” arranged by Nick Jones.

“KISHOR’S” written by Soig Siberil

(Nathan Pigott on saxophone).

“SLEEPING TUNE” written by Gordon Duncan.

“MOUNTAIN STREAMS” first heard from field recordings

of Paddy Tunney.

“ELI JENKINS” reworked by Sam Fryer.

Original songs “MIDNIGHT BLOOD” &

“AND THE PEOPLE ARE GOOD”.

Les Caravanes takes its name from the legendary

LES COUSINS FOLK CLUB.

The caravan seeks to carry on the legacy of the cousins club

with gigs varying in format, line up, timings and material

VIVE LES CARAVANES!!


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nicola

madill

Website nicolamadill.com

Instagram instagram.com/nicolamadill

Bandcamp nicolamadill.bandcamp.com

Facebook facebook.com/missnicolamadill️

| 54


NICOLA MADILL

RELEASES ‘ABSENTEE’ ALBUM

Nicola Madill

Nicola Madill is a gothic folk rock artist from

Scotland’s east coast, known for her atmospheric

and emotionally rich songwriting. With the launch

of a new album and a full UK tour supporting Martin

Stephenson in 2025, Nicola Madill is ready to share her

music with a wider audience.

Described as “hauntingly beautiful” by Gary Clark (Danny

Wilson) and “spellbinding” by Roddy Hart (BBC Radio

Scotland), Nicola’s music blends soul-stirring melodies with

lyrical depth, conjuring a soundscape that invites a deeper

listen and evokes a sense of timelessness and otherworldly

grace.

Nicola’s 2017 album, “Selene” was spotlighted as ‘Record of

Note’ on The Roddy Hart Show (BBC Scotland) earning

critical praise for its mesmerising sound and Nicola’s live

performances have been described by Derrick Johnston

(MTAT Records) as

“sublime, refined and atmospheric with a dark gothic heart

from one of the east coast’s most engaging emergent singer/

songwriters.”

Nicola’s new album “Absentee” released on 24th June

2025, explores themes of archetypes, love, loss, and

transformation. With a sound that shifts between light

and shadow, the album features seven songs, each telling a

powerful story. Nicola’s voice — both earthy and ethereal —

carries each musical tale with potent intensity, drawing the

listener into a world where beauty and darkness sit side by

side, and meaning is found in the in-between.

Taking cues from Kate Bush’s dreamlike storytelling, Joni

Mitchell’s lyrical honesty, and Radiohead’s moody textures,

Nicola’s work is steeped in imagery and symbolism. Tarot,

folklore, and the metaphysical often weave through her

lyrics, creating something that feels both intimate and

expansive.

Her songs speak to those drawn to the introspective, the

mysterious, and the emotionally raw, offering a sound that

lingers long after the last note fades.

“Nicola Madill has created an ambitious and original folk-rock

album that is full of dark mysteries, and both seductive and

unsettling.” Richard Bull, BBC Radio Scotland.

“Spellbinding stuff if you surrender yourself to it.” Roddy

Hart, BBC Radio Scotland.

“Hauntingly beautiful” Gary Clark, Danny Wilson.

“ Nicola is one of the finest female singer songwriter/

performers I have encountered in the past 20 years” Martin

Stephenson

“ABSENTEE” TRACK LIST

1... Breathe

“Beautiful lyrics, a wonderfully crafted song that

keeps you captivated from beginning to end.”

Jane Shields - SFMMagazine

2... Nuit

“Close your eyes and listen... it’s a dreamlike world

that will surround you with Nicols’a

wonderful vocals. A stunningly beautiful song.”


3... Lady

“Immerse yourself in this deligtful song, Embrace

the sound of waves that trickle through the

song, let the soulful vocals of Nicola glide you

artfully through the song”


4... Ophelia

“The lyrics mesmerise you, compel you, urging

you forwards through the song. Eyes closed, drift

through this masterful creation.”

Jane Shields SFMMagazine

5... Sparrow

“Soft whispering begins your journey on ‘Sparrow’.

A delecate delight for your senses. Hauntingly

beautiful song.”’ Jane Shields SFMMagazine

6... Absentee

“Delightful harmonies throughout the song. So

beautiful and delicate. Almost dreamlike as

you sit back and enjoy.” Jane Shields SFMMagazine

7... The Heron Song

“Spoken intro to this one, builds to an atmosphere

that transports you seamlessly into the world

of Nicola’s delicate vocals. The lyrics are exquisite.”

Jane Shields SFMMagazine

Nicola Madill – Vocals, Guitar, Piano, Bass, and Percussion

John Curran – Guitar, Mandolin, Synth, Bass, and Theremin

Doug Hopton – Drums, Tabla, and Percussion

Michelle Madill – Cornet

Produced by John Curran

Recorded and mixed by John Curran at JC Studio, Dundee

Mastered by Mark Lough

All tracks written by Nicola Madill ©

All tracks arranged by Nicola Madill and John Curran


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EMERGING FROM THE SHADOWS OF SCOTLAND’S

EAST COAST, NICOLA MADILL HAS BECOME

KNOWN FOR HER ATMOSPHERIC AND

EMOTIONALLY RICH SONGWRITING.

With the launch of a new album and a full UK tour supporting Martin Stephenson

in 2025, Nicola Madill is ready to share her music with a wider audience.

Described as “hauntingly beautiful” by Gary Clark (Danny Wilson) and

“spellbinding” by Roddy Hart (BBC Radio Scotland), Nicola’s music blends soulstirring

melodies with lyrical depth, conjuring a soundscape that invites a deeper

listen and evokes a sense of timelessness and otherworldly grace.

Her songs speak to those drawn to the introspective, the mysterious, and the

emotionally raw, offering a sound that lingers long after the last note fades.

Nicola’s 2017 album SELENE was spotlighted as Record of Note on The Roddy

Hart Show (BBC Scotland) earning critical praise for its mesmerising sound

and Nicola’s live performances have been described by Derrick Johnston (MTAT

Records) as “sublime, refined and atmospheric with a dark gothic heart from one of

the east coast’s most engaging emergent singer/songwriters.”

Nicola’s new album Absentee will be released on 24th June 2025, exploring themes

of archetypes, love, loss, and transformation. With a sound that shifts between

light and shadow, the album features seven songs, each telling a powerful story.

Nicola’s voice — both earthy and ethereal — carries each musical tale with potent

intensity, drawing the listener into a world where beauty and darkness sit side by

side, and meaning is found in the in-between.

| 56


Nicola Madill Name

NICOLA

MADILL

“ABSENTEE”


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The mission of the KelticDead Music initiative is to find tunes and songs from around the world that have

Celtic, Folk, World, Americana, and Seafaring origins, and arrange them into simple sheet music formats for folk

musicians to use, as well as provide links for the music that follows the arrangements to help in hearing how it can

be played. In addition, other links are provided for the stories and possible lyrics about the selections within videobased,

KDM Broadsides for a music-education experience.

All the selections and sheet music content provided in the KelticDead Music initiative are from

traditional, made-public, made-public with credits, or cited credits where applicable. This material content

is given with permissions. … Patrick O. Young, KelticDead Music.

Storms are on the Ocean

The Carter Family was the first vocal group to become country music stars, and were

among the first groups to be recorded in the country music genre. The Storms are on

the Ocean tune/song was on their first record which was made in Bristol, Tennessee,

for the Victor Talking Machine Company under the producer, Ralph Peer, on

August 1, 1927.

The original group were all born in West

Virginia and were known for their tight

harmonies of mountain gospel music

and shape note singing. The music in

the first record stems out of the early

19 th Century and from Church revival

music commonly found in the South.

In the photograph A.P. Carter (on the

left) was married to Sara Carter (who is

holding an autoharp). Maybelle Carter

(shown sitting down and holding the

guitar) was Sara’s first cousin and

married to A.P.’s brother Ezra Carter

(Eck).

| 58

The original “Carter Family” vocal group. A.P. Carter on

the left, his wife Sara Carter on the right (holding the

autoharp, and their sister-in-lae, Maybelle Carter

holding the guitar.

Throughout the group’s career, Sara

Carter sang lead vocals and played

rhythm guitar or autoharp. Maybelle

sang harmony and played lead guitar.


Name


In many cases A.P. sang harmony and background vocals, and occasionally he sang

a lead part. It was Maybelle’s distinctive guitar-playing style that became a hallmark

of the group. Maybelle used her ‘Carter Scratch’ method (playing both the lead and

the rhythm parts on the guitar at the same time), and it has become one of the most

copied styles of guitar playing throughout the industry.

By the end of 1930, the Carter Family

had sold 300,000 records in the United

States. A.P.’s focus was to find

traditional songs and tunes and copyright

them, and he travelled throughout the

country searching for them.

In 1936 A.P. and Sara divorced, and

Sara married A.P.’s cousin, Coy Bayes,

and moved to California. The Carter

Family group officially disbanded in

1944.

However, Maybelle continued to perform

with her daughters Anita Carter, June

Carter, and Helen Carter, and they

recorded on three labels (RCA Victor,

Columbia and Coronet) as “The Carter

Sisters and Mother Maybelle”

(sometimes billed as “The Carter Sisters”

or “Maybelle Carter and the Carter

Sisters” or “Mother Maybelle and the

Carter Sisters”).

Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters. Left to right:

June Carter, their mother Maybelle Carter (playing the

guitar), Anita Carter, and Helen Carter holding another

guitar on the right.

June Carter was born as Valerie June

Carter on June 23th, 1929. She became a

five-time Grammy award winning American

singer, songwriter, actress, dancer,

comedian, and author.

She became the second wife of the singer

Johnny Cash, and she played guitar,

banjo, harmonica, and autoharp.

She died on May 15th, 2003, and in the

same year, she was ranked 31 in CMT’s

40 Greatest Women in Country Music.

A made-public picture of Johnny Cash holding his

wife June Carter.

For more information about the Carter

Family visit Simply Folk Music Magazine

at

https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/vi

ew/70265144/remembering-folk-legends

.


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The song, “Storms are on the Ocean”

may seem out of place in country music,

but in the early 1800s there were some

Appalachia folk who went to sea. Some

believe this particular folk song centered

around events during the 1812-14

conflict with the newly formed America

and Great Britain.

Great Britain was trying to regain a

foothold in America after the American

Revolutionary War of Independence.

The British expeditionary forces actually

captured the United States capitol, and

tried to gain territory into the Louisiana

purchase. In Louisiana, they were

pushed back by General Andrew

Jackson and French privateers.

A made public image of a British and an

American exchanging cannon fire in the War of

1812.

The main focus of the second British invasion was to stop trade and sea traffic that

supported Napoleon, and to disrupt supply lines in and out of the Louisiana

Purchase (sold to America in 1805 by Napoleon to finance his wars in Europe).

While the battle of New Orleans that made Andrew Jackson famous was pivotal in

America, the war had officially ended prior to that battle. The British simply could not

maintain another conflict in the Americas and stop Napoleon as well. The terms to

end the conflict was made in Versailles, France in 1814.

The lyrics of the song was sung by a young

American man at sea who was swearing his

love and devotion to his girl back home. The

song has been sung several different ways;

1.) from the man’s perspective, and 2.) from the

woman’s perspective.

In the following lyrics I have arranged both

versions into the same collection.

In the early 1800s only the affluent families in

the Americas had servants who dressed and

cared for their daughters. This is why it may

seem a little odd today that the father and

mother are dressing the girl for her wedding

while her young man was at sea. It was not an

uncommon practice in the early to mid 1800s.

The man’s references and descriptions for his betrothed to see “mournful doves”

flying among the “pine trees” provides a country, bluegrass flavor in the song.

Storms are on the Ocean was a very popular song in the Appalachian areas in the

1800s and was made famous by the Carter Family in the early 1900s.

| 60


aaa


I have mixed both the man’s voice and the woman’s voices together as follows.

I'm going away to leave you, my love.

I'm going away for a while,

But I'll return to see you sometime

If I go ten thousand miles.

Chorus

The storms are on the ocean.

The heavens may cease to be.

This world may lose its motion my love.

If I prove false to thee.

Oh, who will dress your pretty little feet,

And who will glove your hand?

And who will kiss your rosy red cheeks

When I'm in a foreign land?

Chorus

Oh, Papa will dress my pretty little feet

And Mama will glove my hand

And, You may kiss my rosy red cheeks

When you return home again

Chorus

Oh, Have you seen those mournful doves

A’ Flying from pine to pine?

A-mournin' for their own true love

Just like I will mourn for mine.

Chorus

Oh, never go back on the ocean my love,

Oh, never go back on the sea.

Oh, never go back on this blue-eyed girl,

And, please come home to me.

And, or …

I'll never go back on the ocean my love.

I'll never go back on the sea.

I'll never go back on my blue-eyed girl.

‘til I come home back to thee.

Chorus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LklTGeepAOo


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The melody of this song has also been used in Church settings as well with or

without lyrics. Regardless, it is usually played or sung with a lot of emotion.

Almost all of the tunes and songs collected and presented by the KelticDead Music

initiative are recorded using acoustic instruments. The main instruments used in the

KDM projects include the “Irish-tuned, Low-Octave mandolin (or bouzouki), several

types of six-hole, “Celtic” whistles, a bodhran (Irish drum), a stomp board, and

occasionally some musician friends will join in to play fiddle, guitar, and other acoustic

folk instruments.

All KDM sheet music is “simplified” folk music arrangements in the typical “8-bar”

format without ornamentation, accents, incidentals, or other expressions. The belief is

that once folk musicians get the basic tune down, they usually make it sound the way

they want anyway. I have provided YouTube links for the sheet music selections, so

that folk can hear and see how the KDM project plays music … It’s all fun.

“Shaun,

That KelticDead Guy”

Patrick O. Young,

KelticDead Music

For free, KelticDead Music video and story Broadsides, as well as links to other places

to find the KelticDead Music projects visit …

www.KelticDead.com

The “Irish-tuned, Low-Octave, Mandolin or Bouzouki

This instrument is becoming more popular in “Celtic and Folk”

music, as well as in many other genres as well. The instrument has

a long neck with a flat-backed body, and four strings. In many cases

these four strings are doubled to provide that characteristic sound

as frequently heard in Bluegrass music.

The “Greek” bouzouki has open string tuning as G, D, A, and E, and

in the “Irish-tuned” bouzoukis, the open strings are tuned as G, D,

A, and D. I use the Irish-tuned bouzouki to set the melody and the

rhythm in all of the KelticDead Music projects.


www.ncbp.co.uk

Name

NATIONAL

CENTRE FOR

BIRDS

OF

PREY

National Centre of Birds of Prey

• largest collection of birds of prey in the UK

• over 50 spacious aviaries

• daily flying demonstrations

• free coach parking

• on site cafe

• open every day from mid February until end of October

• full disabled access

10am until 5.30pm (or dusk if earlier)

Duncombe Park

Helmsley

YO62 5EB

North Yorkshire

www.ncbp.co.uk

charlie@ncbp.co.uk

Tel 01439 772080


63 |


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MAGAZINE


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MAGAZINE

PASSENGER

(MICHAEL DAVID

ROSENBERG)

ASIA TOUR

2025

Michael David

Rosenberg (born

17 May 1984),

better known

by his stage name Passenger,

is an English indie folk singer,

songwriter and musician. From

2003 to 2009, Rosenberg fronted

a band by the same name; he

opted to keep the Passenger

moniker for his solo work after

the band dissolved.

Rosenberg is best known for

the 2012 song “Let Her Go”,

which topped the charts in 16

countries and accumulated

more than 3.8 billion views on

YouTube. Because Rosenberg

was based in Australia at the

time of release (and the clip

itself was filmed at the Factory

Theatre in Marrickville), it is the

most-viewed Australian YouTube

video ever. In 2014, the song was

nominated for the Brit Award for

British Single of the Year, and he

received the British Academy’s

Ivor Novello Award for Most

Performed Work.

A prolific singer-songwriter,

Rosenberg has released 14 studio

albums to date: one with the band

Passenger, and 13 as a solo artist.

The most recent of these, “Birds

That Flew and Ships That Sailed”,

was released in April of 2022.

ALBUM DISOGRAPHY

Wicked Mans Rest

2007 - Discogs link here

Wide Eyes, Blind Love


Divers & Submarines


Flight Of The Crow


All The Little Lights


Whispers 1


Whispers 11


Young As The Morning

Old As The Sea


Acoustic Downloads


The Boy Who Cried Wolf


Sunday Night Sessions


Runaway


Sometimes It’s Something

Sometimes it’s Nothing At All


Patchwork


Songs For The Drunk

& Broken Hearted


Birds That Flew &

Ships That Sailed


Live From San Francisco


All The Little Lights

Anniversary Issue


WEBSITE LINK HERE

FACEBOOK LINK HERE

YOUTUBE LINK HERE

TIKTOK LINK HERE

| 66 66 janeshieldsmedia@gmail.com

PASSENGER Name

ASIA !!!!!

I am beyond excited to announce that I am coming over to see you all and play some

shows at the end of the year !!

Its been 8 years since I was last over that way and I can’t wait to come back ….

So so so happy to finally get to play in INDIA , CHINA and THAILAND for the first time

and also return to SINGAPORE and HONG KONG !

Tickets for all shows are on sale now !!

This will be the only touring I do this year - I absolutely can’t wait for this .

See you soon !!

Mike xx


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MAGAZINE

JOE

BAYLISS

| 68


Joe Bayliss

Grace

JOE BAYLISS

In an era saturated with highly produced, multi

co-writer music, the raw, unvarnished artistry of

a true singer-songwriter can feel like a breath of

fresh air. Joe Bayliss, with his latest offering, firmly

plants himself in this esteemed tradition, delivering

a collection of songs that are as introspective as they

are universally relatable. Bayliss possesses a vocal

quality that is immediately captivating—a warm,

slightly weathered timbre that conveys a depth of

emotion without resorting to overt theatrics. There’s

an authenticity in his delivery, a sense that every

lyric is pulled directly from lived experience. He

navigates melodies with a gentle precision, allowing

the natural ebb and flow of his voice to carry the

narrative. Where Bayliss truly shines is in his song

writing. His lyrics are poetic yet grounded, painting

vivid pictures with simple, evocative language. He

delves into themes of love, loss, hope, and the quiet

complexities of everyday life, often finding profound

insights in the mundane. What stands out is his

knack for storytelling; each song feels like a carefully

constructed vignette, inviting the listener to step

into his world.

21st century, folk - “inspired, music from Joe Bayliss”.

Influenced by John Martyn, Damien Rice and Nick

Drake, Joe is really at home interacting with his

audience.

By his own words…

“ the oldest – ‘new kid on the block’ in the folk world

in the last 12 years”, he brings a life’s experience,

portrayed in a contemporary way.

that comes an atmosphere, a direction of feeling that

the song needs to take, that almost describes the lyrics

that follow.”

Mike Seal joined Joe in 2023 with a considerable

background in Folk, Jazz and Blues music and adds

further sensitivity and atmosphere to the musical

experience. Whether it’s slow ballads or up-tempo

rhythmic songs, they are usually confessional, or

observational, but always contemporary in lyrical

content…

“A wonderful vocalist and sensitive guitar guitar

player with original songs complimenting his style.

His amiable chat between songs made it feel like a

carpet had been placed on the stone floor!”

SOUL SESSIONS

“Day 3 started with a surprise and a confirmation.

Joe Bayliss, playing the acoustic stage gained audience

approval and comparison with John Martyn and

Nick Drake - not a bad piece of work for a Sunday

afternoon”

FATEA (review of west coast folk festival)

“Joe was fantastic! His performance was mesmerizing

and very special. All who came, adored him and he

created a wonderful atmosphere and evening.”

The Bookshop By The sea

Bandcamp

Link

here

He can have you laughing at the introduction and

crying three minutes later from the beauty of an

emotional experience.

A singer songwriter who absolutely, writes and

performs from the soul.

“Telling a story that people can relate to, is so

important to me with my songs, but what comes first,

every time, is the sound - always searching for open

chords, dissonance, resonance, tension... and from

WEBSITE LINK HERE

FACEBOOK LINK HERE

BANDCAMP LINK HERE

SPOTIFY LINK HERE


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MAGAZINE

Music From Bullick Hollow

A Musical Journey

By RICK CARLOS

INTRODUCTION

This essay focuses on my musical

adventures in the recent past.

My obsession with folk music

began in the summer of 1997.

In that summer I attended the Old

Settlers Bluegrass festival held at the Old

Settlers Park in Round Rock, Texas. This

was my first bluegrass festival. I was

working for Tivoli Systems at the time – I

left Tivoli in October later that year. The

festival lineup was awesome that year –

Doc Watson, The Fairfield Four, Iris

Dement, Peter Rowan, David Grisman,

and Jerry Douglas, among others. This

was the year that we were visited by

Hale-Bopp comet, which was visible in

the night sky. So, picture Doc Watson

on stage that night playing his heart out

with the comet visible from above. You

guessed it – it was a magical moment!

Even though I had heard a small amount

of folk/bluegrass music on my favorite

radio station at the time (KGSR – Austin,

Texas), it was this festival that drove

this music home for me. Also, I was

fascinated by the informal jamming that

was happening in the park in between

sets of music. This was the first time I

got a first-hand look at a small group of

musicians playing old-time/bluegrass

fiddle music with fiddle, mandolin, guitar,

and banjo. I was totally blown away by

this aspect of folk music festivals. This

is where I got bitten by the fiddle music

bug, and I’ve never been quite the same

since.

FIRST STEPS

Soon after attending the bluegrass festival,

I purchased a fiddle from ‘Austin Vintage

Guitars’ in Austin, Texas. I paid $600

for an old (1897) nice sounding German

fiddle. I was determined to teach myself

folk fiddle. I also purchased from Alpha

Music my first fiddle book – ‘The Craig

Duncan Deluxe Fiddle Method’ (Mel

Bay) with accompanying CD. I was then

ready to pursue my passion of learning

to play fiddle. Since this book had real

sheet music (not tablature), I needed to

be able to read music. This skill came in

short order. The first fiddle tune I learned

to play from this book was “Bile Dem

Cabbage Down” in the key of A. I later

learned other keys of A old-time tunes,

then moved on to key of D tunes, and

later key of G tunes. The more difficult

key of C tunes came even later. The

accompanying CD helped accelerate my

learning of these tunes since I could hear

what the tune was supposed to sound

like.

Of course, before being able to play

anything pleasant-sounding on the

violin, I had to teach myself how to hold

the instrument between my chin and

shoulder, how to hold the bow, and how

to drag the bow across the strings while

fingering notes on the fingerboard. I

bought a shoulder rest to aid in holding

the instrument snuggly against my

shoulder. I also invested in an electronic

tuner to aid in the tuning of the fiddle. In

| 70


Rick Carlos

general, the violin is one of the hardest

instruments to learn to play, and most

people get classical music teachers to

teach them the instrument. I was too

stupid to know any better! Seriously,

I thought teaching myself the kind of

music I wanted to play would be much

more rewarding then taking the classical

route with a teacher.

I later learned that the mandolin is tuned

in 5ths the same as fiddle (GDAE). So,

you guessed it, I decided to learn to

play the mandolin in addition to the

fiddle. I bought my 1915 Gibson A-style

round-hole mandolin from ‘Austin

Vintage Guitars’ (same place I bought

my fiddle). I paid $500 for this nice

sounding mandolin. I taught myself to

play the mandolin by playing the same

fiddle tunes I’d been playing from the

Mel Bay book on the fiddle. This came

fairly easy because of the similar tuning

between the two instruments. Instead of

a fretless fingerboard, the mandolin has

a fretboard. Instead of a bow, you use a

pick (plectrum). Switching between the

two instruments came fairly easy to me

because of these similarities.

I generally learn fiddle tunes by reading

the melody notes in sheet music. Once

I get the melody of a tune memorized,

I no longer look at the sheet music for

the tune. At this point, the tune is in

my head and I can hear it playing in my

head. I’m able to remember enough of

the tune to hum it. Once I can hear the

tune playing in my head, I can translate

it to fingered notes on the fiddle or

mandolin. This is unlike most classical

players who only play music by sightreading

the sheet music every time they

play a tune, and are lost when they don’t

have that sheet music crutch. The only

other time I look at the sheet music is

if I’ve forgotten how a tune starts. In

this case, I just look at the first measure

or two to get me to remember how the

tune starts. Once I start the tune, I can

hear the rest of the tune in my head, and

therefore am able to play the whole tune

without the sheet music.

JAMMING

While working at Tivoli Systems,

I befriended two guys who would

eventually travel the musical journey

with me, Jeff Kilgore and Tom Boes.

My reasoning was if I were to improve

on my playing while actually having

fun, I should be playing (or jamming)

with others. So, Jeff and I started

playing together on most Saturdays

at my house. At the time, I lived in

Cedar Park, Texas. Jeff played acoustic

rhythm guitar (chords), accompanying

my melody playing on fiddle and

mandolin. I should mention that I’m

strictly a melody player, leaving the

chord progression accompaniment to the

guitar. I never even learned chords on

my instruments, so you can’t count on

me accompanying anyone on mandolin,

for instance. And the fiddle in general is

not an accompanying instrument, unlike

guitar. Yes, you can play double stops (2

strings at once) on fiddle, but this is not

a full chord. And yes, you can play full

chords on mandolin, but again, in folk

music the acoustic guitar is best suited

for this.

Tom joined us a few months later,

also on guitar. At the time, Tom was

strictly an acoustic blues guitar player.

But after joining our jam sessions,

he quickly assimilated into the folk

guitar accompaniment style, while still

retaining some of his blues sensibilities.

Jeff came from more of a folk/bluegrass

acoustic guitar style of playing, so he

had a head start on Tom for playing the

kind of music we were playing. So, what

kind of music were we actually playing?

“Old-time fiddle tunes” mostly contained

in the ‘Craig Duncan Deluxe Fiddle

Method book’ I mentioned earlier. We

mastered a few dozen fiddle tunes from

this book over time. We also played a

few blues and Cajun fiddle tunes from

other Craig Duncan Mel Bay books.

As a result of jamming together, over

time we each improved on our respective

instruments. Playing with other people

improves your sense of rhythmic timing

and melodic improvisational skills.

Playing (practicing) alone can obviously

improve your playing too, but you

should supplement this with jamming

with others to accelerate the learning

process and have more fun to boot!

PRACTICING FIDDLE TUNES

Folk fiddle tunes are not a very complex

type of music. The basic fiddle tune

has 2 parts, the A part and the B part.

Sometimes, there’s 3 parts, the A part,

the B part, and the C part. Each part

is typically 8 measures in length and

repeats (played twice). There are fiddle

tunes that are exceptions to the rule,

but in general for most fiddle tunes, it’s

this simple. The fiddle tune structure

is often notated as AABB for two parts

or AABBCC for three parts. Most

old-time/bluegrass fiddle tunes are in

the keys of A, D, G, and C. There are

exceptions, but most are in these keys.

Irish fiddle tunes are in the keys of A,

D, G, Am, and Em. Again, there are

exceptions to these rules.

Since I’m self-taught, I can learn anyway

I like. Well, I admit that I have an

unconventional approach to practicing.

I don’t practice scales strictly as boring,

repetitive exercises. The way I learn

scales of the different keys is to simply

play as many fiddle tunes in as many

keys as I can (close to 100 tunes so far -

“so many tunes, so little time”). This is

certainly more fun then simply playing

scales as exercises. I know – I’m weird,

but this works for me. After doing this

for a time, you start to learn the scales

and intervals of each key which is very

important in learning to improvise on

your instrument. This also enables you

to “feel” your way through a tune along

with your initial memorization of the

tune. That is, you don’t have to rely

solely on memory when you have your

musical instinct (scale and intervals) to

help guide you. This is all I’m going to

say on this subject, mostly because I’m

not formally trained in music – I just

know bits and pieces of music theory

and am not an expert. I just know what

works for me.

IRISH FIDDLE TUNES

I mentioned earlier that the most

significant book I used to learn fiddle

initially was ‘The Craig Duncan Deluxe

Fiddle Method’ (Mel Bay). This

introduced me to old-time/bluegrass

music. Well, the second most significant

book was ‘Mel Bay’s Complete Irish

Fiddle Player’ by Peter Cooper. This

book also came with an accompanying

CD of the music in the book. I have

a deep appreciation for Irish (Celtic)

music, and this book helped me to learn

a dozen or so (and counting) Irish fiddle

tunes. It’s been very rewarding to play

these tunes with Jeff and Tom in jam

sessions.

Even though I can learn tunes strictly

from the sheet music, having the

recorded music for the tune helps


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accelerate the learning process, especially

for these more complicated Irish fiddle

tunes – Irish music can be a little more

complicated than the basic old-time fiddle

tunes.

WORKSHOP

Bruce Molsky held an old-time fiddle

workshop in Austin, Texas a few years

back. It was actually hosted at someone’s

home near downtown Austin. I attended

the workshop (my wife encouraged me

to), and I’m glad I did. I learned two

major things at this workshop. The first

is that I learned a fiddle tune in alternate

tuning (AEAE), as opposed to standard

GDAE tuning. The key of A tune we

played sounded great in this alternate

tuning.

The second thing I learned is that I’m

an “ear player”. Let me explain this

further. Bruce would have us all slowly

play each tune together, sort of like an

orchestra. This was so we could all learn

the tune together by memorizing the

finger positions. Well, because everyone

was playing at the same time, I couldn’t

hear myself playing. This confused me

tremendously, and I couldn’t play the

tune this way. I actually had to step into

the next room where I could hear myself

play in order to effectively learn the tune.

So, I assume that I use my scale/intervals

ear training in order to finger a tune. I

don’t learn solely by memorizing finger

positions on the fingerboard. I need my

ear as a guide. Because of this, I probably

couldn’t play in an orchestra setting. Also,

I don’t play vibrato on long notes on violin

(unlike most classical players), although I

have been known to play tremolo on long

notes on mandolin.

CHURCH JAM AND PEARL

I found out about the so called “Church

Jam” while looking through the

newspaper. A group of folk musicians

met twice a month to play music at ‘The

Anderson Mill Baptist Church’ in Austin,

Texas. I started going to this religiously

(no pun intended!) to help me get better

at improvising on fiddle and playing

rhythm guitar accompaniment. I had

recently bought a brand new 2000 Martin

HD-35 acoustic guitar from ‘Guitar

Center’ in Austin for $1900. It’s a very

nice sounding guitar and has a great

bottom end (base). Jeff affectionately calls

this guitar his “godchild” since he helped

me pick it out at the store.

Jeff and Tom joined me at the church

jams later on. While there, we became

fast friends with a banjo player named

Chuck Middleton. We invited Chuck to

jam with us at my house on Saturdays. A

couple of years earlier I sold my house in

Cedar Park, bought 6.5 acres of land on

Lake Travis, and custom-built a house

there. I still live there on Bullick Hollow

Rd. in Austin, Texas.

Through the folks at the “Church Jam”, I

learned about the monthly bluegrass jams

at Pearl, Texas. Pearl is a couple of hours

northwest of Austin. The most fun I’ve

ever had at Pearl was when I was playing

swing (not bluegrass!) music with a group

of musicians there. I didn’t realize how

fun total improvisation on fiddle could

be. There were two guitar players and two

fiddlers (counting myself). Most of the

songs were sung, and everyone took turns

taking breaks (improvised solos). I had a

blast!

COMPOSING

I started composing my own fiddle tunes

in the summer of 2000. I think my

inspiration came from my wife Linda

and our residence. Living in a house

with hill country views and views of Lake

Travis is very inspiring when it comes to

creativity. I also think I enjoy impressing

my wife and jamming buddies with my

compositions. It’s very rewarding to have

them play and enjoy my fiddle tunes. To

date, I’ve composed around 60 fiddle

tunes (and counting). I’ve also done my

own arrangement of the traditional tune

“Flowers of Edinburgh”, in addition to

transcribing (creating the sheet music)

from a Missouri-style version of this tune

on CD.

I’ve registered all my current

compositions with the Library of

Congress Copyright office – 4 volumes

worth so far. I typically register groups of

around 15 tunes in each volume. Paying a

single registration fee for a group of tunes

is cheaper than paying a fee per tune. The

title of the works I’ve registered is “Music

from Bullick Hollow” – volumes 1-4.

The kind of fiddle tunes I compose

is mostly what I call my own style of

“American fiddle tunes”. These fiddle

tunes can be a mixture of old-time,

bluegrass, blues, and Celtic music. Some

tunes tend to have more of a blues sound,

while others may have more of a Celtic

sound. The rest mostly have an old-time/

bluegrass sound. I’ve also composed

Latin-sounding and Gypsy-sounding

fiddle tunes. Since I’m first and foremost

a music lover, and listen to many kinds

of music, I’m greatly influenced in my

compositions by what I listen to. I

generally listen to Celtic, blues, old-time

country, Cajun/zydeco, bluegrass, jazz,

early R&B, world music, classical, folk,

progressive rock, alternative rock, classic

rock, alternative country, pop rock, etc.

I’m also greatly influenced by the fiddle

tunes (mostly traditional) I’ve learned to

play over the years - close to 100 tunes,

and counting. This is not counting the

fiddle tunes I’ve composed.

None of my songs (actually, tunes) have

lyrics – they’re all instrumentals. Creating

poetry is just not my cup of tea, although

in all honesty I’ve never tried it. I may

actually try it some day, but for now I’m

satisfied with just creating the music.

In general, my fiddle tunes sound old. My

blues tunes sound like they could have

been written in the early 1900’s, while my

old-time/bluegrass and Celtic tunes sound

like they could have been written in the

1800’s. This is an aspect of my fiddle

tunes that I really like. They can transport

the listener to another place (for instance,

Appalachia and Ireland) and time in the

past.

My main composing instrument

is surprisingly my mandolin – I’ve

composed most of my fiddle tunes on

mandolin. I’ve actually only composed

one or two fiddle tunes on my fiddle. I

find it easier to compose on mandolin,

probably because it’s a more “portable”

and “accessible” instrument. Just grab it

and go! There’s no bow to tote around.

All you need is an optional pick – you can

actually just use your thumb instead of a

pick. Also, it has frets for fingering the

notes. After learning a composed tune on

mandolin, I learn it on fiddle which can

take advantage of any slurs (mostly 2 and

sometimes 3 notes in a single bow stroke)

in the tune.

I will now attempt to explain how I

actually compose fiddle tunes. I always

compose the A part of the tune first. I

then compose the B part (and maybe a

C part) to fit the A part. In composing

the A part, I come up with a hook, or

jingle, which catches the listener’s ear as

the distinctive part of the tune. I then

build up the tune around this hook. Note

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that at this point, I’m composing the

melody of the fiddle tune. Once I’m

finished with the melody, I put chords

to the tune. I then put a title to the tune.

The title is something that makes you

think of when you hear the tune. This

all sounds much simpler than it actually

is – it’s an art and not a science (there’s

no exact formula to follow). There are

probably other approaches, but this is

generally how I do it.

MY 1915

GIBSON

MANDOLIN

FREE MUSIC SOFTWARE

TOOLS

For the first handful of fiddle tunes I

composed, I notated the sheet music

manually (using pencil and music staff

paper). This became quite tedious. I

then found out about a free software

tool available on the Internet that

creates professional quality sheet music.

This tool, called abc2ps, is based on a

computerized music format called ABC.

ABC is a way of notating a tune, and

you edit it as an .abc (suffix) computer

file. There is also a tool, called abc2midi,

which allows you to generate a playable

MIDI file from the ABC-formatted tune.

The abc2ps tool generates postscript,

which can be converted to PDF (read

with Adobe Acrobat reader) using the

tools Ghostscript and GSview. The sheet

music can then be printed out either as

postscript or PDF using these tools.

I’ve actually recorded a CD of most of

my tunes in MIDI using other free tools,

such as MidiSyn (converts MIDI to a

WAV file) and Audacity (allows you to

edit a WAV file for mixing purposes,

and also converts WAV to MP3 format).

MIDI actually doesn’t sound that

good because it’s computerized music.

Actually recording the musicians playing

the music would sound much better.

I also use an ABC player called abcmus.

This allows me to hear the ABCformatted

tune on the computer. So,

while composing a tune, I’m seated at

my computer with my mandolin in

hand, entering the notes of the melody

in ABC format while playing them on

the mandolin and hearing them with

abcmus. I compose directly from my

mandolin to the ABC file, eliminating

the need for pencil and paper. I’ve

gotten so good at the ABC format

method, that I can actually almost

sight-read music written directly in ABC

notation. I can almost sight-read sheet

music also if played slow enough. In

general though, I don’t sight-read good

enough to play in an orchestra. Yes, I

can read notes - I just can’t play them

fast enough while reading the music. I

also use abcmus to hear the chords that

I add to an ABC-formatted tune. The

ABC format supports both musical notes

and chords along with other musical

notations that translate into the sheet

music and MIDI.

RECORDING

Some friends and I got together a few

years back to do some recording for a

Plectrology VII CD. This is a yearly

collection of music put together by

members of the flatpick-l mailing list

on the Internet. The music varies

considerably, but concentrates on the

guitar flatpicking aspect of music. Jeff

spearheaded this recording project

and acted as both engineer/mixer and

contributing musician. The recording

session was held at my house using

recording equipment that I owned, and

some contributed from Jeff. I own a

Roland digital recorder, a Bluetube preamplifier,

and an AT4033a microphone.

Jeff contributed other microphones to

the recording session and did the mixing

at his house on his equipment.

A friend of Jeff ’s, Cory Hicks, and a

friend of Cory’s, Chris Synan recorded

with Jeff and I. We recorded three

songs during the session – “Hand Me

Down My Walking Cane”, “Catfish John”,

and “Remembrance Rag” (one of my

composed tunes). The first two songs

were played and sung, and the last one

was an instrumental. I played fiddle

and mandolin, Jeff played guitar and

mandolin, Cory played guitar and sang,

and Chris played banjo (this was before

we met Chuck) and sang. We recorded

as a band named “The Bullick Hollow

Boys”. All songs were recorded live (no

overdubbing) with only a few takes per

song. We all mostly improvised our

Ric Carlos

solos (breaks) on the first two songs.

On the last song (my tune), I basically

played the straight melody with a little

improvisation and the other guys mostly

improvised. A standout was Cory’s

improvised break (solo) on my tune with

Jeff backing him. It is simply one of the

better improvised guitar solos I’ve ever

heard.

THE BANJO MAN

Chuck is a very good banjo player. As

a matter of fact, he’s the best musician I

know. A few years before I met Chuck,

my wife and I went to an art gallery

in Austin to see some art and listen to

Leroy Jenkins play violin. Also present

was the co-owner of a local record

label selling CDs. I purchased an early

Ralph Stanley CD and a Doc Boggs

CD (both banjo players). One of the

women working at the art gallery asked

my advice in buying some CDs for

her banjo-playing brother from Lago

Vista, Texas. I recommended the very

same CDs I purchased. A while after

I met Chuck, he mentioned that he

had the Doc Boggs CD as a gift from

his sister. Since Chuck lives in Lago

Vista, I immediately put two and two

together. As it turns out, the women at

the art gallery was Chuck’s sister, and I

was instrumental in turning Chuck on

to Doc Boggs even before we met. Talk

about coincidences!

FIDDLE TUNE COMPOSITION

CONTEST

Each year the Nebraska American

String Teachers Association (Nebraska

ASTA) holds a fiddle tune composition

contest. There are three judges and four

categories you’re scored on – melody,

rhythm, originality, and fun. To

win, you place either first, second, or

third. I entered two of my fiddle tune

compositions the last two years of this

contest.

The first fiddle tune I entered was “Old

Victrola Waltz”. I received almost

perfect scores from two of the judges

for this tune, but unfortunately, the

third judge gave me only above average

scores. So, the third judge ruined my

chances to place in the competition!

The second fiddle tune I entered was

“Where the Shadow Meets the Eye”. I

received almost perfect scores from one

of the judges, above average scores from


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another judge, and just average scores

from the last judge. So, I didn’t place in

the contest yet again. I may keep trying

in years to come.

OTHER INSTRUMENTS AND

MUSIC BOOKS

Besides the fiddle, mandolin, and guitar,

I own other major instruments including

tenor guitar and banjo. I dabbled with

these instruments off and on in the past,

but haven’t spent enough time with them

to become proficient. The tenor guitar

is a 1958 Martin 018T that I bought on

EBAY for $500. At one time, I learned to

play some chords on the tenor guitar, but

didn’t spend enough time with it in order

to get good on it. The tenor guitar is

tuned in 5ths (CGDA) and makes a great

accompanying instrument for Texas-style

fiddle playing.

The banjo is a 5-string fretless open-back

banjo custom-made by Bob Flesher. I

think I remember paying $700 for this

brand new banjo, which is a great value

for this well-made instrument. People

normally play the clawhammer style of

banjo playing on these open-back banjos.

The fretless banjo lends itself well to the

Round Peak style of banjo playing. This

Round Peak style is the type of music I

eventually want to learn to play on my

fretless banjo, and is generally played

along with fiddle where the melody is

played on both fiddle and banjo. In

other words, there is no accompanying

instrument – both the fiddle and banjo

are front and center with the melody.

Other minor instruments I have include

a djembe (African) drum, two rainsticks

for African music, a washboard and a

triangle for Cajun/zydeco music, and a

guiro for Latin music. Since I haven’t

done much with these instruments, they

are nevertheless fun to collect. I once

had one of my nieces (Madalyn) play the

triangle along with a Cajun tune (Chez

Seychelles) I played on fiddle. She did a

pretty good job considering her young

age. Early Cajun music used a triangle as

a percussion instrument.

I also have a substantial collection of

old music instruction books for various

instruments along with some books on

music theory. Although I sometimes

reference some of these books, most

of the books just sit on the shelf. So, I

guess I consider myself a collector of

old music books. Some of these books

are worth some money. For instance, I

have a Clarence White guitar instruction

book from the 1970’s that I’ve noticed

on EBAY selling for over $200. I bought

it used at Half Priced Books for around

$2. I generally buy these books used and

don’t pay much money for them.

MY FIDDLE TUNE

COMPOSITIONS

I will now analyze many of my composed

fiddle tunes.

I put titles to my fiddle tune

compositions mostly based on what

the tunes makes me think of. For

example, a fiddle tune could make me

think of a place or a person or an event,

etc. I normally just use my creative

imagination to name my fiddle tunes.

The title is a hint that allows a listener

to paint a picture of the tune using their

own imaginations.

BEGINNINGS

The first fiddle tune I composed was

“Bullick Hollow”. This also happens to

be one of the simplest fiddle tunes I’ve

composed. Bullick Hollow is a place

where I live. It’s a creek that flows into

Cypress Creek cove of Lake Travis – I live

on a hillside across the street from this

cove. Bullick Hollow is also the name of

the road (street) I live on. Even though

I’ve notated this tune in the key of A, it

also sounds and plays good in the key

of B. Its chords are the three simplest

chords in folk music – the I, IV, and V

chords.

The tune “Shiller’s Delight” was the

second fiddle tune I composed. At the

time I composed it, I was a regular on

EBAY. A shiller (or shill) on EBAY is the

seller, or someone in cahoots with the

seller, who makes a bid to get potential

buyers to bid more for an item. The B

part of this tune has triplets that mimic

mischievous laughter, as in laughing all

the way to the bank! This is another tune

that has the simple I, IV, and V chords in

the key of A.

The third tune I wrote was “High Horse”.

This tune makes me think of trotting

horses and has a slight Celtic sound. It

also has a meaning of someone who

thinks they’re better than others. Its

chords are a little more complex than

my first two tunes since it uses the I, IV,

V, V7, and vi (relative minor) chords in

the key of D. In general, the key of D is

fiddle-friendly (fairly easy to play) and

sounds good on fiddle.

MY WIFE

I named “Evelia’s Waltz” and “Evelia’s

Dream” after my wife Linda. Linda’s real

name is Evelia (pronounced “avail-ya”)

Serrano-Carlos. “Evelia’s Waltz” is the

first waltz I wrote. It’s in ¾ time. This

makes me think of dancing with my

wife and has an old-fashioned sound.

It’s in the key of G and makes use of

the I, IV, V, and V7 chords (no minor

chords). “Evelia’s Dream” is in the spirit

of the traditional tune “Devil’s Dream”,

especially in the A part of these similar

tunes.

THE BLUES

The blues-sounding tunes I’ve written

are not strictly 12-bar blues even though

they have the word “blues” in the titles.

They are more in the spirit of W.C.

Handy, an early blues composer pioneer.

I call them fiddle blues tunes since they

are blues-sounding tunes mostly in the

typical fiddle tune structure of AABB

(an A part played twice followed by a B

part played twice). Sometimes there’s

also a C part played twice (AABBCC).

Some of my blues tunes are weird in that

there are some minor chords sprinkled

in them. I don’t think true blues uses

any minor chords. I do use some 7th

chords similar to real blues songs though.

Since I always compose the chords after

the melody, the chords are at the mercy

of the melody. In general, I always look

forward to what chord progressions are

produced (created) from the melody

of my tunes. Chord progressions may

vary depending upon the person putting

chords to a tune. The chord progressions

I produce sound pleasing to my ear.

Other people may come up with different

chord progressions that sound good

to them. The blues-flavored tunes I’ve

written are “Assimilation Blues”, “Come

‘Round Blues”, “Crowded Town Blues”,

“Fascination Blues”, “Jollyville Blues”, and

“Western Frontier Blues”.

“Assimilation Blues” is one of those weird

blues-sounding tunes sprinkled with

minor chords. It makes me sad when

distinct cultures get slowly assimilated

into mainstream cultures. When I

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composed this tune, I was thinking

of the Cajun culture over time being

assimilated into American mainstream

culture. This rings true to my heart since

I myself am a Cajun, and am proud of my

Cajun heritage. The way the B part of the

tunes holds on the D and D7 chords gives

the listener a sense of time passing, like a

tension that slowly builds.

“Crowded Town Blues” was the first tune

I wrote in the key of F. Key of F is a good

key for blues, not so good for fiddle. It’s

a hard key to play on fiddle. I named

this tune to express my sadness with the

fact that Austin has grown so much in

the last decade or so and has become a

very crowded place. At one of our past

jam sessions, I remember Tom and Cory

improvising together on this tune on

their guitars, and it sounded great! This

tune is very simple and only uses the I

and V7 chords.

“Come ‘Round Blues” is the first blues

tune I wrote in the key of C. It is a very

simple tune and uses only the I and V7

chords. “Fascination Blues” is the first

tune I wrote in the key of E. This key is

good for blues but is difficult to play on

fiddle. This tune is a more complicated

blues tune that uses the I, IV, V7, and ii

(minor) chords. “Jollyville Blues” is a

play on words since you really can’t be

jolly and have the blues at the same time.

Also, Jollyville is a small community

outside of Austin. This is also a fairly

complicated blues tune and uses the I, I7,

IV, V, V7, ii, ii7, and vi chords. This is

definitely a lot of chords for a blues tune!

Even though “Western Frontier Blues”

is notated in the key of D, it actually

sounds better in the key of A. It has a

cowboy sound to it and makes me think

of the early American West. I know this

sounds vague, but I used my imagination

to name this tune. Also, Tom really likes

this tune a lot since it does have a slight

blues flavor. It uses the I, V, ii, and vi

chords.

SPANISH MERCHANT AND

HURRICANE

My great-great grandfather, Salvador

Carlos, was a merchant from Barcelona,

Spain in the mid-1800’s. This makes me

1/16th Spanish. I named the tune “The

Spanish Sailor” after him. He eventually

married a French woman and settled in

South Louisiana. This tune is in the key

of Em and sounds Irish.

The tune “Last Island” is named for a

tiny island off the coast of Louisiana. In

1856, a hurricane hit the Louisiana coast

and totally devastated this small island.

There was supposedly a resort hotel on

the island where wealthy people from

Louisiana vacationed. The hurricane

completely covered the island with

ocean water and many people lost their

lives. The A part of this tune is cheerful

in the key of D. This represents the

merriment of the vacationers before the

storm. The B part of this tune turns dark

and changes the key to Bm (the relative

minor of D). This represents the storm

devastating the island, putting an end to

the merriment.

As the story goes, my great-great

grandfather was on his ship in the Gulf

of Mexico during the hurricane. A ship

sailing from France to New Orleans

was wrecked by the storm, and a young

French woman was saved by my greatgreat

grandfather’s ship. They later

married and settled in South Louisiana.

Also, the owner of the island hotel was

supposedly an ancestor of my mother (a

Landry) and lost his life in the hurricane.

So, I have two connections to this

hurricane event from both sides of my

family.

Back in the 1970’s, I remember my father

showing me Last Island while shrimping

in his shrimp boat. When I saw it, it

was a very tiny deserted island. I could

almost hear the echoes of the ghosts of

the people who lost their lives a century

earlier during that great hurricane. Also,

I find it interesting that I was born in

1956, 100 years after this hurricane event.

The destruction of the island was

dramatized in 1889 by Lafcadio Hearn in

the novelette “Chita: A Memory of Last

Island”. This is a well-written story that I

downloaded for free on the Internet from

the Cornell University library. I highly

recommend it.

SPANISH MUSIC

The tune “South to Matagorda” was

inspired by listening a lot to Compay

Segundo and Cuban Son music. Compay

Segundo is one of my musical heroes

and I highly recommend anything he’s

recorded. He was part of the Buena

Vista Social Club musical group which

brought renewed American interest in

Cuban music. Matagorda is a small town

Ric Carlos

on Matagorda Bay on the Gulf coast of

Texas.

COUSINS

The tune “Cousin Sue” was inspired by

Sue Landry. Sue is Canadian and is a

niece of the famous Canadian fiddler

Ned Landry. She is a beginning fiddle

player, and I met her on the Internet

in one of my fiddle mailing lists. Since

my mother is a Landry, we joking refer

to each other as cousins. I composed

“Cousin Sue” as a simple key of A tune

that I knew she could easily play. This

is one of the rare tunes I composed on

fiddle rather than mandolin. It sounds

good with drones - playing the open

adjacent string along with the noted

string (playing two strings at once).

The name Landry is a Cajun name

and there are a lot of Landry’s living in

South Louisiana. The Louisiana Cajuns

migrated from Nova Scotia, Canada to

South Louisiana in the 1700’s. So, Sue

and I are actually related by a distant

Landry ancestor.

I wrote “Sleeper’s March” shortly after the

death of one of my real cousins – Tim

Ange. It has a few drones sprinkled in

for good measure, and has a slow sad and

haunting (dreamlike) marching quality

to it. Surprisingly, it has no minor chords

in it (unlike most sad songs). It simply

uses the I, IV, and V major chords in the

key of D.

CELTIC FIDDLE TUNES

I’ve composed a handful of Celticsounding

fiddle tunes. They are “Curly

Tail Jig”, “Four Points Reel”, “Lightning

Reel”, “The Mist of Dawn”, “Moderation

Polka”, “Proud Mother Polka”, “Shores of

Cumberland Sound”, “Where the Shadow

Meets the Eye”, “Volente Hornpipe”, and

“The Spanish Sailor”. I’ve composed still

other tunes that have a slight hint of the

Celtic sound, but I don’t list them here.

Some of the tunes listed here sound very

much Celtic/Irish (especially the Jigs),

and some sound somewhat Irish with a

strong Irish title (such as Reel, Hornpipe,

or Polka).

“Curly Tail Jig” is in 6/8 time, as all Irish

Jigs are. This title has a double meaning.

The word “Jig” here has two meanings.

There’s Jig as in a type of music in 6/8

time, and there’s a jig (or hook) that is

janeshieldsmedia@gmail.com 75 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

fishing tackle. A curly-tail jig is a type of

jig used for fishing.

“Four Points Reel” also has a double

meaning. There are “four points”, each a

grouping of three notes, in the tune that

have a similar distinctive timing. Two of

these points are in the A part and two in

the B part. I’ll leave this as an exercise for

the reader to find these notes in the tune

(don’t worry, they’re easy to find). The

other meaning of “Four Points” is that it’s

the name of an area of town defined by a

major intersection (620/2222) in Austin

that I live close to.

In “Lightning Reel”, there are a few notes

in the first measure of the B part of the

tune that mimics thunder. A “Reel” is

a type of Irish music and is in 4/4 time

and is played relatively fast. “The Mist

of Dawn” is a jig in 6/8 time that sounds

very Irish, and is in the key of A. Jigs are

normally played slower than Reels. A

Hornpipe is a type of Irish music in 4/4

time played slower than Reels. “Volente

Hornpipe” is a hornpipe that sounds

vaguely Irish. Volente is the name of a

community on Lake Travis close to where

I live.

The two polkas I’ve written are in 2/4

time – “Moderation Polka” and “Proud

Mother Polka”. These can be considered

Irish polkas since they vaguely have an

Irish sound. Two tunes I’ve written in

minor keys are “Shores of Cumberland

Sound” (in the key of Am) and “Where

the Shadow Meets the Eye” (in the key

of Em). Both of these tunes are dark

and foreboding. Cumberland Sound is a

body of water in Canada, and I envision

it as a cold, lonely, and isolated region.

“Where the Shadow Meets the Eye”, in

general, is meant to represent something

evil. “The Spanish Sailor” has an Irish

sound and is in the key of Em. It’s named

after my great-great grandfather, Salvador

Carlos, whom I mentioned earlier.

ARRANGEMENTS OF

TRADITIONAL FIDDLE

TUNES

I created a unique arrangement of

the traditional fiddle tune “Flowers

of Edinburgh”. Jeff and Cory wanted

me to contribute to the Plectrology VI

recording project. They wanted to record

“Flowers of Edinburgh”. Since I did not

want to simply play the tune straight

from the Craig Duncan Deluxe Fiddling

Method book, I decided to arrange my

own version of this traditional tune.

The melody and chord progression is

different from the original, but it’s still

identifiable as the traditional “Flowers

of Edinburgh” in the key of G - my

arrangement is also in the key of G. For

reasons I cannot remember, my version

of this tune never made it on the CD.

That’s just fine since I got something out

of it anyway – I gained some experience

in arranging. I remember during

one of our jam sessions, Chuck did a

magnificent banjo break on my version of

this tune. It sounded great!

As of this writing, I’m arranging another

great traditional fiddle tune called “Old

Parnell”. The version I’m familiar with

is a Missouri-style fiddle tune. I’ve

arranged the A part of the tune and will

arrange the B part eventually. So far,

my version has a different melody while

maintaining the same chord progression

as the original. Even though the melody

is a bit different, it’s still identifiable as

“Old Parnell”. I just love this tune!

MISCELLANY

I wrote “Old Victrola Waltz” in the key

of G to create an old-fashioned waltz

sound. It sounds old enough to have

been played on a victrola. It has a very

pleasing chord progression (one of my

favorites), and uses the I, IV, V, V7, II7,

VI7, and ii chords – in general, the II7

and VI7 are not my typical chords for any

of my composed tunes. In most of my

tunes, I mainly stick to the I, IV, V, ii, and

vi chords.

“The Pendulum’s Shadow” is my gypsysounding

fiddle tune in the key of Dm.

It sounds like it came from an Alfred

Hitchcock movie soundtrack. It’s a

spooky tune with a spooky title.

“Spirits in the Bar” in the key of G sounds

vaguely Irish and has a double meaning

- spirits as in ghosts and spirits as in

alcohol. “Mount Eerie Dance” is also in

the key of G and sounds vaguely Irish.

It’s probably the strangest fiddle tune I’ve

composed. It’s in 11/8 time. I think I

was inspired to write this because of my

love for early Genesis (the progressive

rock group), which probably means that

there’s a slight classical influence at work

here. It also has a very interesting chord

progression (one of my favorites).

“Miss Minnie’s Mill” was written in

honor of Minnie Anderson, a descendant

of the Anderson who built Anderson

Mill on Cypress Creek. Anderson Mill

was a gristmill built in the mid 1800’s.

Mansfield Dam was built in the late

1930’s and this submerged the mill under

what is now Cypress Creek Cove of Lake

Travis. The name of the mill was later

informally called Miss Minnie’s mill. A

replica of the mill was built near the

original site. With binoculars, I can see

this replica (millwheel and all) from my

house overlooking the cove.

“Hazel’s Waltz” and “Hazel’s Night Out”

were written in honor of one of my

grandmothers who’s name was Hazel.

This was my father’s Cajun mother. She

liked to go out to dances and have a good

time. She died in the 1990’s, and is sorely

missed. She lived even longer than one

of her sons (my father) who died in the

early 1990’s.

“The Big Green and Blue” in the key of C

reminds me of a show tune from the early

1900’s. The title represents planet Earth.

“Hill Country Flyer”, also in the key of

C, is my only train song. I can’t quite

put my finger on why, but it does sound

like a moving train (a locomotive, not a

steam train). The double stops sound like

a train horn blowing. The Hill Country

Flyer is an actual train that regularly

travels between the towns of Cedar Park

and Burnet, Texas.

I wrote “Margo’s Joy” for my niece,

Marissa Duswalt, who has so far

accomplished much in her young

life (she’s currently a University of

Texas student). Two of her many

accomplishments are a Truman

Scholarship award and a Rhodes Scholar

nomination. Margo is Marissa’s mom.

“Land is Near”, “Seadrift”, and “Shores

of Cumberland Sound” are what I call

my maritime fiddle tunes since they deal

with the ocean in some fashion. Seadrift

is a small town on the Texas Gulf coast,

and Cumberland Sound is a body of

water in Canada.

The tune “Remembrance Rag” is not a

true ragtime tune. It only has the flavor

of a ragtime tune. It’s what I call a fiddle

rag since it has the typical fiddle tune

structure (AABB), and not the typical

ragtime structure. It’s similar to the

traditional fiddle tune “Stone’s Rag” in

this regard.

| 76


Rick Carlos

I wrote “Sunset on Cypress

Cove” shortly after the 9/11

terrorist tragedy. It has a

melancholy sound to it in the

key of D. I live on Cypress

Creek Cove where the sun

sets in the west over the cove.

After sunset comes nightfall,

and darkness

The following are the

MIDI sound files of all my

composed tunes. Please follow

the link to listen.

ASSIMILATION BLUES

https://rcarlos.yolasite.com/

resources/AssimilationBlues.

mid

BIG GREEN AND BLUE


resources/BigGreenAndBlue.

mid

BULLICK HOLLOW


resources/BullickHollow.mid

CHALK MOUNTAIN


resources/ChalkMountain.mid

THE CIRCUMNAVIGATION


resources/TheCircumnavigator.

mid

COME AROUND BLUES


resources/ComeAroundBlues.

mid

COURTSHIP WALTZ


resources/CourtshipWaltz.mid

COUSIN SUE


resources/CousinSue.mid

CROWDED TOWN BLUES


resources/CrowdedTownBlues.

mid

CURLY TAIL


resources/curlytailjig.mid

CYPRESS CREEK


resources/CypressCreek.mid

DONE WITH YOU


resources/DoneWithYou.mid

DRIFTERS RAMBLE


resources/DriftersRamble.mid

EVELIAS DREAM


resources/EveliasDream.mid

FASCINATION BLUES


resources/FascinationBlues.mid

FLOWERS OF EDINBURGH


resources/FlowersOfEdinburgh.

mid

FOUR POINTS REEL


resources/FourPointsReel.mid

GRATEFUL PEASANT


resources/GratefulPeasant.mid

HAZELS NIGHT OWL


resources/HazelsNightOut.mid

HAZELS WALTZ


resources/HazelsWaltz.mid

HIGH HORSE


resources/HighHorse.mid

HIGH POINT WALTZ


resources/HighPointWaltz.mid

HILL COUNTRY FLYER


resources/HillCountryFlyer.

mid

JOLLYVILLE BLUES


resources/JollyvilleBlues.mid

KING OF THE HILL


resources/JollyvilleBlues.mid

LAND IS NEAR


resources/LandIsNear.mid

LAST ISLAND


resources/LastIsland.mid

LIGHTNING REEL


resources/LightningReel.mid

LONE OAK


resources/LoneOak.mid

MARGO’S JOY


resources/MargosJoy.mid

MISS MINNIES MILL


resources/MissMinniesMill.mid

MIST OF DAWN


resources/MistOfDawn.mid

MODERATION POLKA


resources/ModerationPolka.

mid

MOUNT EERIE DANCE


resources/MountEerieDance.

mid

NIGHT SKY WALTZ


resources/NightSkyWaltz.mid

OLD AND AGED


resources/OldAndAged.mid

OLD VICTORIA WALTZ


resources/OldVictrolaWaltz.

mid

PENDULUMS SHADOW


resources/PendulumsShadow.

mid

PRETTY PURPLE SAGE


resources/PrettyPurpleSage.mid

PROUD MOTHER POLKA


resources/ProudMotherPolka.

mid

REMEMBRANCE RAG


resources/RemembranceRag.

mid

SEA DRIFT


resources/Seadrift.mid

SHILLERS DELIGHT


resources/ShillersDelight.mid

SHORES OF CUMBERLAND


resources/

SLEEPERS MARCH


resources/SleepersMarch.mid

SOUTH TO MATAGORDA


resources/SouthToMatagorda.

mid

SPANISH SAILOR


resources/SpanishSailor.mid

SPRINGHILL WALTZ


resources/SpringhillWaltz.mid

SUNSET ON CYPRESS COVE

https://rcarlos.yolasite.

com/resources/

SunsetOnCypressCove.mid

TUNESMITHS FANCY


resources/TunesmithsFancy.

mid

UNDER THE PURPLE

TWILIGHT


com/resources/

UnderThePurpleTwilight.mid

VOLENTE HORNPIPE


resources/VolenteHornpipe.

mid

THE WAY STATION


resources/TheWayStation.mid

WESTERN FRONTIERR

BLUES


com/resources/

WesternFrontierBlues.mid

SHADOW MEETS THE EYE


com/resources/

ShadowMeetsTheEye.mid

WILD BASIN STOMP


resources/WildBasinStomp.

mid


77 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

DOMINIC BEHAN

Half - Glaswegian But All Irishman

Article By: Dr David McKinstry

Who reading this has not heard or

indeed sang these words? The lyrics

and tune of ‘The Patriot Game’

are so potent in their melodiously

melancholy that the Nobel Laureate Bob Dylan,

borrowed or stole the name depending on your

interpretation, for his anthemic ‘With God On Our

Side’.

‘The Patriot Game’ was penned by a writer and

songsmith who was covered by The Beatles,

wrote number one hits, was close friends with

Jimi Hendrix as well as collaborating with one of

Scotland’s most important poets Hugh MacDairmid.

This mercurial Irishman was courted by

International artists and could have lived in any

of the worlds capitals, yet he chose to live in the

southside of Glasgow among his fellow Irish.

Moreover he passed up many International career

opportunities and instead became ‘Writer In

Residence’ for Strathclyde Regional Council and

“Come all ye young rebels and list while I sing

For love of one’s country is a terrible thing”

brought literature, poetry and song to the ‘weans’

of the West of Scotland. His name was Domonic

Behan.

DOMINIC IN DUBLIN

Dominic’s writing talent is often in the shadow

cast by riotous older brother Brendan. However

Dominic’s artistic legacy, in many respects has

outshone Brendan’s.

Dominic was born in Dublin on October 22nd 1928,

into a staunchly Republican family. His maternal

Uncle, Peader Kearney, wrote ‘The Soldier’s Song’,

and his Father Stephen, was one of Michael Collin’s

legendary ‘Twelve Apostles’. During the War of

Independance, this elite military organisation was

responsible for the deaths of numerous British

intelligence officers. The audacious acts of ‘The

Twelve Apostles’ - combined with the geurilla

warfare of the Flying Columns - were crucial in

forcing The British Empire from the field of conflict

| 78


Dominic Behan

to the negotiating table. Dominic would write a

fitting tribute to his father’s bravery during the

period by penning ‘Come Out, Ye Black And Tan’s’

The military bravery of Behan’s Father was matched

by the the literary talent of his mother, Kathleen

who was a close friend of Michael Collins and

a supporter of independence, also found time to

ensure that her children had a first-class education.

She was a collector of songs and stories and took her

family on literary tours of Dublin.

It was hardly surprising that not only Dominic

and Brendan, but also Brian, all became writers.

Indeed, such was the International renown of the

Behan Brothers, that when their Father was asked

by a reporter, when he himself would produce a

play owing to the success of his sons, Stephen Bhan

quipped: “Why should I produce plays when I produce

playwrights?”

The road to literary prominance began in the

1940’s when Dominic, still a teenager, began to

pen his poems in the IRA’s youth organisation’s

magazine FIANNA: The Voice Of The Youth Of

Ireland. However, the young Behan was no romantic

Republican, but sang from the same socialist hymn

sheet as James Connolly - for him lyrics and social

activism were different verses of the same song. In

1952 he was arrested and jailed for leading a civil

disobedience campaign to protest against

Éamon de Valeria’s Fianna Fáil Governments

unwillingness to tackle unemployment.

IN THE GREEN DEAR PLACE

On his arrival in Glasgow, he became close friends

with Hugh MacDairmid. The Scottish poet gave

the young Dominic lodgings as well as creatively

mentoring him and introducing him to his future

wife, Josephine.

What is remarkable is that arguably the most

influential poet since Burns, a man who was hailed

as being the leader of the Scottish literary renaissance

and one of the founders of SNP, lived under the

same roof as one of Irelands greatest songsmiths and

writers.

It was during this three year period that Behan began

to work on his first play the acclaimed ‘Posterity

Be Damned’, which deals with IRA activism after

the Civil War. When the play premiered in Dublin

in 1959 it was met with great acclaim, much to

the chagrin of elder Brother Brendan. However

Dominic was not subject to such petty jealousness

and credited MacDairmid with much of his early

development as a writer.

PLAYWRIGHT

Although, Glasgow would always be his home,

during the 1960s he spent time in London writing

for the BBC. Whilst working for the corporation

he worked with his fellow Irishman, the poet Louis

MacNeice on BBC World services programmes.

Again, the self-educated Dubliner was able to

collaborate across social boundaries and worked

successfully on many broadcasts with the Oxfordeducated

Ulsterman MacNeice.

It was during this time that Behan wrote a score

of plays for television including screenplays for

the BBC flagship programme ‘Play for Today.’ His

drama ‘The Folk Singer’ focused on the sectarian

roots of the conflict in the North of Ireland and

was a critical success. So much so, that it was

taken out on tour, premiering in Belfast’s Lyric

Theatre in 1972, during one of the bloodiest years

of the conflict. Starring the young Ken Stott, the

play never shied away from the issues facing the

North of Ireland.

During early 1970’s, when the violence was at

its height, Behan—never an armchair Republican

—put his money where his clever mouth was. He

was pivotal in setting up and funding a summer

school in Meath with the aim of to bringing

Catholic and Protestant youths together in an

adventure setting with the intent of breaking down

sectarian barriers by fostering teamwork and

greater understanding.

Dominic’s commitment to children’s education

extended beyond his native land. During the

1980s, he became the Writer in Residence for

Strathclyde Regional Council and toured the

region’s schools to promote literature and song.

By all accounts he was successful in his teaching

role and many West of Scotland weans listened to

recitals from the Dublin Bard.


79 |

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MAGAZINE

| 80

SONGSMITH

When the mercurial Dubliner was not busy writing

plays and books, he found a wee bit of time to write

the occasional song—to be precise, he published

450 songs in his lifetime. Dominic worked closely

with the Dubliners, adapting and writing folk

classics such as MacAlpine’s ‘Fusiliers and Avondale’.

These standards crossed musical boundaries, at

the height of Beatlemania, John Lennon, praised

the Irish folk scene in general but also singled out

Behan for his songwriting talent. Indeed, Dominic’s

‘Liverpool Lou’ was a song chosen by Yoko Ono as

one of her Desert Island Discs, because it was the

lullaby that John would sing every bedtime to his

son Sean. It was Paul McCartney’s brother’s band

Scaffold who covered ‘Liverpool Lou’ and Macca

was involved in the production of the song. In

1974, the song became a hit in the UK and across

Europe.

DOM AND DYLAN

As well as being an influence on the Beatles, Behan

was friends with other Rock icons including The

Animals’ Eric Burden, Jimi Hendrix and Chas

Chandler. However, it was folk music that was his

original passion and where his lyrical imagination

could be best expressed. He worked closely with

the Dubliners and the young Christy Moore to

develop their songwriting and stage craft. His

long-term collaboration with Ewan MacColl—writer

of ‘Dirty Old Town’—produced many memorable

folk recordings including ‘The Singing Streets’

(1958).

His folk sentiment did not detract from his

sense of justice both for himself as an artist and to

wider political issues. He publicly accused the

uncrowned king of folk Bob Dylan of copyright

infringement for plagiarising ‘The Patriot Game’ in

using its tune for ‘With God on Our Side’. However,

Behan was not all about the half-crown, he also

rebuked the Clancy Brothers for removing a verse

from their rendition of ‘The Patriot Game’, which

criticised Éamon de Valera and the Garda. For

Dominic, the anthemic ‘The Patriot Game’, was a

time when the Punt and the principle collided.

Throughout the 1960s, Behan’s writing was able

to reach a mass audience beyond the boundaries

of the folk genre. In 1966, the Irish folk group The

Ludlows were at number one in the UK charts for

four weeks with ‘The Sea Around Us’. The song did

not pull its punches with regards to British

involvement in Ireland, its lyrics included the

lines:

“Two foreign old monarchs in battle did join,

each wanting each head on the back of a coin,

if the Irish had sense,they’d drowned both in theBoyne

and partition throw into the ocean.”

Again, Behan was able to merge melody and message

to shine a light on the history of British involvement

in Ireland.

DOM BELONGS TO GLASGOW.

Dominic Behan was a Renaissance man, whose talent

was internationally recognised, yet he chose to live

in the southside of Glasgow. He was as much at ease

having a pint with regulars in Heraghty’sas jamming

with Jimi Hendrix. Moreover, his commitment to

education was such that that he travelled the length

of Strathclyde to educate the weans of the west in

music and literature.

He died in 1989 of pancreatic cancer, aged just

60. Fittingly, his ashes were scattered on the

banks of the Royal Canal in Dublin. Clearly, the

Royal Canal meant much to the Behan family as

it was to subject of Brendan’s haunting prison

lament ‘The Auld Triangle’. Dominic left behind a

wife and two sons and a legacy that included plays,

books, poems, and some of the most iconic songs

of the 20th century.

Behan, was best described by his fellow writer

and regular in Heraghty’s, ‘Jack McLean’: “He was

half-Glaswegian and all Irishman.”

Dr David McKinstry is a teacher and poet

whose poems are widely published and

broadcast across Ireland and in the UK.

If any readers wish to share their literary

output with him, they can contact him at:

davmick38h@yahoo.co.uk


Dominic Behan

www.neguitars.co.uk

Tel: 0191 5910221

Guitars bought & sold • Amps

• Guitar Parts • Repairs

In House Luthier for full repair and parts service by:

CH Guitars

86a Fowler Street South Shields NE33 1PD

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SFM

MAGAZINE

VINCENT BURKE

10 BY 3

Some of my earliest memories are lying on

the kitchen floor listening to the radio while

my Mum ironed or kneaded dough. We had

very few records but one I played repeatedly

was Simon and Garfunkels Greatest hits, even then I

could feel the intelligence of the lyric alongside those

great melodies. I always had a melody rolling about

in my head and always wanted to write music that

people could carry with them like that while they did

their daily stuff. Anothert Album I remember clearly

was the first one by Suzanne Vega. I was 16 and

camping with my mates, drinking a bit and avoiding

smoking banana skins when Gutsy put it on the

battery cassette player. It completely silenced us, the

whole Album from start to finish, I suppose I wanted

to find a voice someway as unique and individual as

that.

I was first played by Tom Robinson on the BBC 6

Music over 10 years ago now, he championed a demo

of a song I’d sent him on a little tape called ‘He Paid

To Have Himself Murdered’ which despite the title

was a roundabout celebration of what it is to be alive,

he liked it a lot and some others I sent him like ‘Take

Me To The Old Folks Home’ , ‘Yellow Guitar’ and

‘Stronger Than A Mountain.’

As a result, he invited me to do some songwriting

with friends of his where we had to write 20 songs

in 2 days, well, I didn’t quite manage that ;-) but

between us did write a lot of music, (and eat a lot of

cheese).

He’s played a lot of my songs since then and when no

one knows your name it’s hard to exaggerate just how

appreciated that is.

My first Album was a Greatest Hits of some of those

songs and those I’d been playing around London

acoustically for about 5 Years in Pubs and Open Mics

seeing what I could get away with, including quite a

few tracks off my Album ‘A conversation with fate.’

I think I made a big step forward with my second

Album. It’s actually a suite of songs based around the

fact that life is finite and with that in mind it asks the

| 82 22 janeshieldsmedia@gmail.com

Vincent Burke

question how should we live and what should we do.

The title track and the more acoustic ‘What I’ve Been

Trying To Tell You All My Life’ are good examples of

this.

I have an idea of folk music that when it really works

it’s tunnelling deep down into shared language and

imagery – so for example with the opening track ‘All

Good Things Will Come To Me’ I knew because the

time signature was odd I wanted a simple melody

over it with simple Anglo- Saxon words to convey

something more deeply rooted; so you get ‘sure as a

feather down the stream’ etc simple clear imagery.

The other Radio presenter who has really supported

me has been Max Reinhardt from Radio 3’s Late

Junction. He’s also played a lot of songs over the past

few years and hosted the launch of the new Album.

He also suggested I try out for Latitude Festival

which I played in 2019 as a ‘BBC Introducing Artist.’

Since then I’ve been performing live with Hana

Spooner, then Fran Girdlestone on violin and Paul

Southern on double-bass, the songs live then are

completely re-invented.

They are such great players that I really wanted to

capture the Arrangements as we were playing Live.

This resulted in the Album ‘10 by 3’ (10 tracks by 3

Players). This time around I really wanted to make

something beautiful.

Here’s a bit about each song:

‘ONCE AGAIN’ - this is the story of someone

perched on the edge of disaster with desire pulling

him away from his family.

‘ICE-CREAM PARLOURS’ - this is me in Plymouth

aged 14, riding my bike to Sunday school. As I went

past Henders Corner, suddenly there was a a girl

there who told me we should go out together. It’s

about that and what happened next.

SING FOR YOURSELF ....and then later on when

you’ve been dumped :-)

BIRDS IN FLIGHT - Guy Garvey played this one

on 6 Music. It’s about how at the end of a party

everyone’s leaving and it’s just you and this person

you’re deeply attracted to left on the sofa, and you

think if I lean in now something may happen...so I

better go.


JULIA - This is the true story of a friend I used

to surf with. He was unusually organised for

someone in his early 20’s, he had a well paid job

and a beautiful girlfriend who he was engaged to.

The one day he just walked out on all of it without

explanation. This is the note he maybe should have

wrote.

WEDDING SONG - Yes I wrote this for our wedding

:-) I particularly like the line ‘I can imagine, all the

happiness that we can share ‘til we look up from

rocking chairs , at grown up children on the beach,

and swapping smiles from each to each’ Our first

child was a toddler when we were married and now

him and his Sister are nearly all grown.

STRONGER THAN A MOUNTAIN - This is about

looking after your friends. Sometimes when things

are hard you need a mountain to hold on to and

other times you get to be that mountain for someone

else.

A CONVERSATION WITH FATE - This is a look

in the bathroom mirror in the morning. Who is that

person there and what is he doing with his time?

SALAD DAYS - This is a song a lot of people seem

to love - I like it too. I’m more interested in small

things than big events and I like to notice that these

are our Salad Days :-)

FORWARD! TO THE SUN - Although I’m

essentially an Acoustic writer every now and then

something comes out which wants to travel a bit and

this is one of those.

Another thing you may be interested in is my

‘Library Experiment.’ For a long time I worked with

young people with criminal convictions, and later

more specifically around mental health.

At the same time I wanted to create a space to play

music away from a noisy drinking pub atmosphere a

calmer listening space. These 2 things together led to

an Experiment which went like this:

I would find a venue where people could sit or lie

down.

I’d get some nice, subdued lighting.

I’d invite musicians/ bands who would play

83 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

intelligent/ beautiful/strange /thoughtful music

(we’ve had Classical and folk, and abstract sound

Artists).

People would bring a roll mat and lie in semidarkness,

but once you’d entered the ‘Library’ there

was no talk, and no applause between songs so it

became very focussed.

The performances ended with 2 particular pieces:

John Cages 4.33 – by this part of the night people

seemed really zoned into the space and ready to

listen to silence and the noise inside it – I ‘conducted

‘ everyone who performed to do this one together,

and finally the Audience became the players in a

‘journey back into sound’ – for this one the rules

were any non-verbal sound is allowed – so it was

zips, clanking chains and sort of voice sounds.

Anyway this sounds a bit mad but each time I

‘conducted,’ encouraging interesting sounds and

building up from shyness into a crescendo at which

point I announced ‘the Library is now closed.’

The whole thing worked better than I could possibly

have expected. People said not applauding meant

the music felt like a real gift; lying down in soft light

meant they felt ‘bathed’ in sound and not talking

meant they could really enter into the music.

Afterwards there was a big rush of catharsis and

enormous applause.

I feel with all of the Mental health needs I daily

encounter, there is a big Urban need for us to create

quiet thinking spaces and something beautiful. So

yes I want to do more in bigger spaces with named

Artists tailoring their sets to the format.

I very occasionally and almost unwillingly get

involved directly in political issues.

‘Big White Boots’ was written in Wiltshire, when

I leaned over my Dads fence in Wiltshire during

the Summer of Black Lives Matter and got into one

of ‘those’ conversations. This one was about the

Slave-trader Coulsdons’ Statue going in the water

and getting replaced by a black statue of the young

black activist, he said somebody ought to go down

there and paint it white, “wonder what they’d do…”

Anyhow it we had a nice polite conversation about it,

but when I got home a couple of days later I’d been

stewing on it and this came out. It’s really an attempt

to think through our colonial past and how we digest

that today.

Another song I wrote in direct response to going to

a Cub Church Parade with my kids, it was called ‘On

Remembrance Day’

I felt the whole tenor of the service had changed

from Remembering to avoid the terrible reality of

war; to a ‘celebration’ of our heroes. The compulsory

wearing of poppies for example on the BBC have

meant it is now difficult to differentiate between any

of the wars Britain has fought since the 1st World

War, whether it’s the Falklands or Iraq or the Second

World war, whatever you feel about them they are

made the same by the poppy. When I looked a bit

further I found out that since the First World War

when Remembrance day began, Britain has been at

war somewhere around the World every single year,

and all of those wars have been endorsed by the

Church of England.

Anyhow that all led from the song to

this video. https://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=pVoz_8xHm5c&t=6s

vincent burke: Remembrance day 2015

And a performance for the ‘Veterans for Peace’ before

they laid a wreath of White poppies on the Cenotaph.

It was on the 1st proper Album ‘Over here in the

Trees’ https://vincentburke.bandcamp.com/album/

over-here-in-the-trees

“So beautifully original...stunning songs” - Tom

Robinson BBC6Music

“I loved it!” - Guy Garvey BBC6Music

“You think how come everyone hasn’t heard this?” -

Max Reinhardt Late Junction Radio 3

“Wonderful and dark..just as I like em” Chris Difford,

Squeeze

Website - http://www.vincentburke.co.uk

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/

artist/4Dn3fFA8VoB4DXyVl

Bandcamp - https://vincentburke.bandcamp.com

Twitter - www.twitter.com/vncntburke

| 84


Vincent Burke

To the left 10 by 3 album

Link here:

https://vincentburke.bandcamp.com/

album/10-by-3

Below Ernest Boots Album

Link below:

https://vincentburke.bandcamp.com/

album/ernest-boots


85 |

SFM

MAGAZINE

MACPHERSON’S RANT

BY IAN MACDONALD

When you start

to dig into the

facts behind the

lives of some of

the most colourful characters to

appear in folklore, their career

mostly consists of violent armed

robberies. Over time, this image

somehow mellows to the point

where they become figures of

legend and something to be

admired. A friend of mine, Frank

Robb, put it very well in the

opening two lines of a song he

wrote:

“How come Ronnie Biggs is such a

hero, when the engine driver died?”

Truth and fiction blend together

over the years and an icon is

created.

Several such men live on in the

songs which were written about

them - Jesse James, Pretty Boy

Floyd, Robin Hood, Dick Turpin.

So it is with today’s subject,

James Macpherson, hanged on a

gallows outside the tollbooth in

Banff in 1700. He didn’t fit easily

into any neat classification of

society. Part aristocrat, part gypsy,

one of the finest swordsmen in

Scotland, cattle thief and first class

musician. The fellow was a mass of

contradictions.

To begin at the beginning. The

story goes that he was what was

termed a “dyksider”. Apparently he

came about due to an encounter

of a sexual nature between the

Laird of Invereshie and a gypsy

woman at a society wedding. One

can only speculate that such a lady

would only be present at such an

event if she had been employed

there in some manner, perhaps

in the kitchen or as a musician.

One could also speculate as to

whether she was an unwilling

participant in the affair or whether

she rather hoped for a dramatic

change of lifestyle resulting from

it. Whatever, the pair remained

on good terms after the birth. His

father assumed responsibility for

the boy and reared him as one

of his own, much to the chagrin

of the rest of the family, with his

mother continuing her nomadic

ways, gaining access to him on her

yearly visits to the area.

There was a great military

history to the Invereshie family.

James’s paternal grandfather,

Angus, the first Laird, was killed

in battle, fighting alongside of

James Graham first Marquess

of Montrose, the well known

Royalist. With that kind of

background, it is surely beyond

doubt that young James learned

his prowess with a sword from his

father. Considering his actions

in later life, it is somewhat ironic

that his father is said to have been

killed trying to retrieve stolen

cattle from some rustlers. While

his father treated him as one of his

own family, it was evident when

he died that the rest of the family

were not in favour of keeping

him on and his care was quickly

transferred to his mother.

As they were gypsies, nothing is

known about his mother’s side of

the family. They do not appear in

any official documents and indeed

at that time in Scotland, under a

law of 1603 ratified by parliament

in 1609, it was illegal to even be

what was termed “ane Egyptian”.

The punishment for this crime

was “execution to death” but it

seems to have not been put into

practice unless the individual was

arrested for some other crime

and the authorities wanted rid of

the offender. In such cases it was

simply added to the charge sheet

and that was that. It is probably

during this time living the gypsy

life that he mastered the art of

fiddle playing as the traveller

people have long been known for

their abilities in music, song and

dance.

When he was older he set up on

his own in two ways - a legitimate

business dealing in horses, and a

hobby of stealing livestock. It was

the latter which earned him the ire

of several of the local landowners

and important people. Some

have cast him as a Robin Hood

type figure, but there is no hard

evidence or even folktales which

tell of his generosity to the poor.

He could probably be summed up

by saying that he only stole from

those who could sustain the loss. It

stands to reason that most thieves

ignore the poor as they have

nothing worth stealing, anyway.

However, he did have a reputation

for having “certain mental

accomplishments of a high order”

and was “celebrated for his skill on

the violin. There were no cruel or

atrocious deeds attributed to him

and he showed great kindness and

brotherly love toward the poor

| 86


Ian MacDonald

and oppressed “. While this may

have endeared him to the lower

ranks of society, others of the

upper crust became somewhat

tired of his activities. One such

was Alexander Duff, Lord Braco.

As some of his business was

legal and legitimate, he was

prone to arriving at a town fair

with a group of his workers or

“followers” headed by a piper to

announce their arrival. He went

to fairs at Forres, Banff, Elgin and

elsewhere. His fateful visit was

to an annual event at Keith. This

is usually stated to be St. Rufus

fair, but as it was in September,

it is more likely to have been the

week-long Simmareve Fair. This

was a grand affair, with traders

and sellers from all over Scotland

all plying their wares. All that

is left of it today is the one-day

Keith County Show.

James arrived with a full

entourage, but Lord Braco and

his men were waiting in ambush

for him. He had been busy

building up his family’s private

wealth and was exasperated with

Macpherson’s interference. Quite

a fierce fight developed. One of

Macpherson’s men was killed and

three others captured. They were

James Gordon, Peter Brown

and Donald Brown. Macpherson

found himself in an alleyway,

back against a wall, three armed

men in front of him. The general

opinion is that he could easily

have fought his way out of the

situation, but a woman at an

upstairs window threw down a

blanket, which landed on top

of him. He was easily captured

whilst trying to extricate himself

from his predicament. He and

the others were taken to the

tollbooth at Banff and securely

locked up. The authorities were

taking no chances, as he had

already managed to escape from

Aberdeen prison at least once.

At this point, the Laird o’

Grant got involved in the case.

This was in fact Sir Francis

Grant who became the Lord

of Session and took the title of

Lord Cullen, from the name of

his family’s estate. He tried to

claim exemption for Peter and

Donald Brown as they were his

vassals, but this was rejected by

the court. They were sentenced

to be hanged on February 21st

1701, but this was never carried

out. I therefore suspect that

the line in the song, “He played

the cause on Peter Brown, tae

mak’ Macpherson dee (die)”

should actually be, “He pled the

cause of Peter Brown, and let

Macpherson dee” which would

make more sense.

The trial was conducted by

Nickolas Dunbar, Sheriff of

Banffshire, a man who had not

earned his position by diligent

study but was one of the last

hereditary sheriffs in Scotland. It

was held on the 8th of November

and all those present whose

opinion mattered agreed that

he was guilty. They didn’t waste

time, given his ability to escape

captivity and he was hanged on

the 16th of November. Several

people would have you believe

that he was just hanged for being

a gypsy, but there was a bit more

to it than that. The sentence read

as follows:

“Forasmeikle as you James

Macpherson, pannal, are found

guilty by ane verdict of ane assyse,

to be known, holden, and repute

to be Egiptian and a wagabond,

and oppressor of his Magesties

free lieges in ane bangstrie

manner, and going up and down

the country armed, and keeping

mercats in ane hostile manner,

and that you are a thief and that

you are pessimae famae. Therefore,

the Sheriff-depute of Banff, and I

in his name adjudges and dicernes

you the said James Macpherson

to be taken to the cross of Banff,

from the tollbooth thereof, where

you now lye, and there upon ane

gibbet to be erected, to be hanged

by the neck to the death by the

hand of the common executioner,

upon Friday next, being the 16th

day of November instant, being a

public weekly mercat day, betwix

the hours of two and three in the

afternoon...”

He was 25 years old.

Researching the next verse took

me by surprise. The tollbooth is

at the north end of Low street

and at the south end, you can see

a long stretch of straight road

leading down to the bridge across

the river Deveron, where the

main roads from Aberdeen and

Peterhead meet on the far side.

Everyone sings, “The reprieve was

coming o’er the brig (bridge) of

Banff, to set Macpherson free.....”.

From the vantage point of the

south end of Low Street, the

rider with the document freeing

their prisoner could be seen

coming from quite a distance

away. However, he was hanged

in 1700, and the first bridge built

across the river at this point was

a wooden construction, erected

in 1765. It was washed away in

a great spate in 1768. Not only

that, but the only reference I

could find for a ferry here was

the one which replaced the

wooden bridge but that suffered

a similar fate in 1773. Today’s

stone structure was built in 1779

and widened to it’s present state

in1881.


87 |

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MAGAZINE

Then there is also the problem

with the roads. When digging

around in the past, you have to get

out of the present-day mind set

and think of how things were back

then. What we now call the main

roads simply did not exist. In fact,

in Aberdeenshire, all there was

between towns were single tracks

worn down by human or animal

footfall. Passage by a wheeled cart

was impossible. The first turnpike

road in the county was that from

the Bridge of Dee to the town of

Aberdeen, which completed the

post road from Edinburgh and

was built in 1796. Some arterial

roads were built by General Wade

to facilitate quick movement of

troops in the event of another

Jacobite rebellion, but these only

came after the battle of Culloden

in 1746. So, how can we make

sense of all this?

In those days, most long distance

(as well as some short ones) would

have involved a sea journey, as the

overland way was full of hazards

- rivers, bad tracks, robbers, etc.

The Deveron carries quite a flow

of water even when not in spate.

A very common vessel to be

seen ploughing up and down the

coast was a two-masted squarerigged

affair called a brigantine.

Yes, this was usually abbreviated

to brig, the same as the Scots

word for bridge. I assume that

the reprieve was coming on (or

in) the brig to Banff when it was

spotted. This would have given the

lookout plenty of time to get to the

tollbooth and warn the folks there

of it’s approach. They then acted

out the last episode of the entire

saga, set the town clock 15mins

fast to take it past the allotted

time, and hung him. When the

courier came, he was too late, the

deed was done. A somewhat sad

fate for a young man who had

never actually physically harmed

anyone. Or so we are told.....

During his internment, he

composed the tune of the rant on

his fiddle and played it just before

he died. Two stories are now told

about the instrument. He either

offered it to anyone in the crowd

who would take it, but no-one did,

or decided that nobody should

play on it after he was gone.

Whichever way, he then broke the

fiddle across his knee.

His sword was taken and kept

by Lord Braco. Later, it was kept

in the armoury in Duff House.

In 1907 the Duff family gave

up Duff House and put most of

the contents up for auction. It is

believed that the sword was sold at

this time.

The remains of his broken fiddle

and a replica of his sword can be

seen in the Clan Macpherson

museum in Newtonmore. The

clock mechanism was moved to

Dufftown, where it can be seen,

still kept 15 mins fast in memory

of it’s part in the hanging, in the

clocktower of the town.

I first learned the song along

with many others from old Davy

Stewart, who I made friends with

in the 1960s. He was a traveller

who had an immense repertoire of

songs, tunes and stories. Here’s his

rendition:

https://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=f_HhQmAdaLQ

The Infamous

Clock

MacPherson’s

Sword


Ian MacDonald

MACPHERSON’S

RANT

Farewell, ye dungeons

dark and strong

The wretches destiny

MacPhersons time will no be lang

On yonder gallow’s tree

It was by a woman’s

treacherous hands

That I was condemned to dee

She stood uben a windae ledge

And a blanket threw o’er me

Sae rantingly, sae wantonly

And sae dauntingly gaed he

He played a tune,

and he danced around

Below the gallow’s tree

Oh what is death,

but parting breath

On mony’s the bloody plain

I’ve daur’d his face, and in his place

I scorn him yet again



He played a tune,





He played a tune,



So farewell night, a parting night

And all beneath the sky

May coward shame

distain his name

The wretch that dare not die



He played a tune,





He played a tune,



So tak off these bands

fae ‘round my hands

Gae to me my sword

For there’s no a man in a’ Scotland

But I’ll brave him at a word


89 |


Simply Folk Magazine - Issue No:6

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